Guardian Bat
by Iron Robin
Summary: A series of one-shots about the rocky relationship of the Dynamic Duo. Dick Grayson's life as Bruce Wayne's ward isn't always easy. Especially when it's time to suit up as Robin and Batman. Not to mention his second life as the Young Justice League's resident hacker. But his Guardian Angel (or rather, Bat) is always there to help his Little Bird fly.
1. Discovery

**I'm trying my hand at writing Daddybats. This is my first time writing Batman and Robin, so please cut me a little slack. I'll do my best. Okay? Okay! Let's get on with the show.**

**I don't own Robin, Alfred, or Batman. (Trust me. I wish Robin was mine. *sigh*)**

* * *

_Snooping: To __investigate or look around furtively in an attempt to find out something, especially information about someone's private affairs._

The dictionary definition of the word popped into Dick's-Or rather, Robin's. He felt more comfortable being mischievous in costume.-mind as he surfed the Batcave's computer archives. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for. He only knew that the entire Young Justice Team had gotten the day off, it was raining outside, and Bruce had ordered him to stay in the mansion to reduce risk of getting a cold.

_You get a deathly case of pneumonia **one **time..._

So far, his findings had him underwhelmed. Seriously, he wasn't even whelmed! In fact, he hadn't been whelmed all day. That was saying something.

All he'd found were criminal records of various bad guys, and stakeout locations from the past week. Why didn't Bruce have any juicy files? He was the Batman, for flight's sake!

Robin was just about to give up when two simple words caught his eye.

_Grayson, Richard_

His eyes widened behind his mask and he rapidly clicked the _Open File _option. He viewed the most recent data and found that it was simply his logged hours in the Mt. Justice training exercises.

_Boring. Even **I **can't make myself get whelmed._

Robin continued to scroll through his file until he found the oldest entry. He scanned it with disinterest (heavy on the 'dis') until he saw the ticket.

_7/4/2006 __H__aly's Circus: Seat #2E_

Dick took his mask off as his jaw dropped. Bruce Wayne. No, scratch that. _Batman_ had been at the Circus the day his parents had died. Dick thought that Batman had simply investigated the scene after it had happened! Why hadn't he been told this? Why...

_Then, that means...Bruce just sat there and watched my parents...Why didn't he save them?_

Suddenly, Dick felt a rush of anger wash over him and he shot to his feet, storming through the clock that was the secret entrance to the Batcave.

"Master Richard, I didn't realize you were-"

"Alfred, where's Bruce?" Dick demanded.

"I believe he's in his study. Why-"

The boy didn't bother to listen as he strode from the room as fast as his embarrassingly short (at least to him) legs could carry him.

Upon arriving at Bruce's study, Dick pounded the door with his fist. __To heck with manners.__

* * *

Bruce looked up from his paperwork without a hint of surprise. He'd heard his ward coming from a mile away. That could only mean one thing. Robin was mad about something.

"Come in."

The boy barreled through the door, his bright blue eyes dark with rage. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Bruce asked with genuine confusion.

"Ai fost acolo!" Dick shouted in Romanian, his native language. (_"You were there!")_

Bruce frowned. Dick only ever slipped into Romanian when he was upset about something. "English," he reprimanded. "What do you mean?"

"Ai fost acolo când părinții mei au murit!" (_"You were there when my parents died!")_

This time, Bruce didn't bother correcting the use of a different language.

Instead of feeling shocked like he probably should have, he only felt dread. He'd feared this moment would come. Why had he thought he'd be able to keep this a secret from his adopted son?

"I'm sorry, Dick," Bruce said quietly. "There was nothing I could do."

"Nothing you could do?!" the boy all but shrieked, reverting back to English as if by habit. "_Nothing you could do?! _I was an eight-year-old watching my parents fall to their deaths! You were Batman sitting in the crowd! Why didn't you save them?"

Silent, furious tears were now making their way down Dick's face, and Bruce had to suppress the urge to embrace him. He knew that would only make things worse. "I couldn't. There were too many people. There wasn't time for me to become Batman in order to save them."

"But-"

"No. How long did it take them to fall?"

Dick blinked, the brash question seeming to startle him. "6.8 seconds," he recited by memory.

A brief pang resonated in Bruce's chest at the statement. The kid had calculated the time to a millisecond. He shook it off and continued, "Exactly. Do you think that was enough time?"

Combatting emotions flickered across Dick's face. Desperation at wanting to fight back, and disappointment at the realization that Bruce was right.

"I...I just...I wanted...I wanted there to be a way to...to have saved them," Dick choked out, the pauses in his words punctuated with hiccupping sobs. He was past the point of being embarrassed now.

Bruce took that as an invitation to step forward and envelop his ward's small, shaking body in a strong, comforting embrace.

"I know, son," he said softly, stroking Dick's ebony hair as the boy leaned against him. "I know."

After a few minutes, the boy's sobs quieted and he took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. You know, for accusing you like that."

Bruce offered a small smile as Dick pulled away to look up at him. "Don't be. I completely understand."

Dick shot a slightly shaky grin back. "'Course you do. After all, you accused me of breaking your million dollar vase even though we both know it was you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bruce insisted, crossing his arms in mock annoyance.

"Oh, yeah. Mr. Show-off-to-Robin threw a Batarang that went awry."

"Humph. I never liked that vase, anyway."

* * *

**Sorry if that was too short (I tend to write short things) and if the ending was a bit rushed or off or whatever. I didn't really know how to finish it up.**

**I know people have various stories on when Bruce first saw Dick, but for the purpose of this one-shot I decided to have him be there when the disaster occurred.**

**Oh, and I made up the date on the Circus ticket. Please don't sue me!**

**Anyway. Let me know what you think about my first attempt at Batman and Robin! (And whether or not I should continue with a series of one-shots.)**


	2. Scissors

**So, I wrote more even without getting any reviews. I've been bored lately, and writing helps cure that.**

**I couldn't figure out how to change the name of Chapter 1, so that's remaining the same, but I'll be naming my chapters from now on. M'kay.**

**I don't know where this idea came from. It sorta kinda just popped into my head. Bear with me. XD**

* * *

"Okay, KF. I dare you to butcher the English language," Robin taunted his best friend.

"Seriously? Where's your sense of adventure?" Wally complained, having expected the Boy Wonder to come up with something death defying.

"Do it."

They'd been at this game of Truth or Dare in the kitchen in Mt. Justice for an hour now and both the boys were still going strong. Conner had left near the very beginning saying that the game seemed utterly pointless.

Kaldur hadn't stuck around long, either, insisting that his king needed him in Atlantis. Robin figured he just didn't want to get roped into doing or saying something he'd regret.

Megan was the only one still there. Her eyes went back and forth between the two boys as if she was watching a tennis match. They'd offered for her to join in, but she'd refused, claiming that she still didn't quite understand.

"Fine," Wally relented. He'd never understood his best friend's fascination with words such as 'whelmed' and 'aster'. "Let me think...What about neuralgia and nostalgia? Why doesn't anyone ever just have simple algia?"

Robin snorted. "Really? I guess some things are better left for the masters."

"Hey, I thought I did pretty good!" Kid Flash protested.

"Sure, sure. Okay, my turn. I choose dare." Robin always chose dare. In his experience, truth was always more embarrassing.

"Hm...I guess I'll have to make up for your totally lame dare," Wally teased, tapping his chin. "Okay! I dare you to run with," he paused, looking around like this was some huge secret, before whispering, "_scissors._"

Robin couldn't help the cackle that escaped him. "Scissors? You're kidding, right?"

Kid shook his head, holding up his right hand. "No way. Running with scissors is dangerous."

The Boy Wonder rolled his eyes as he got to his feet, rummaging through one of the kitchen drawers to grab some scissors. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"Are you guys sure about this?" Megan asked, biting her lip uncertainly. "What if someone gets hurt?"

"I'll be fine. What could go wrong?" Robin answered as he crouched down and broke into a run, hearing Wally's and Megan's footsteps behind him.

"See? Nothing to worry abou-" Robin broke off as he tripped over Conner's pet Wolf, who was lounging right in the middle of the hallway leading to the mission room.

Before his lightning quick reflexes could kick in, the scissors slipped in his grasp to carve a four inch long gash running vertical to his palm.

Robin let out a sharp yelp of pain as blood began to drip from the wound. "Ouch! Definitely not feeling the aster, guys."

"Oh my gosh, Robin!" Megan exclaimed, kneeling next to him to examine the cut.

Meanwhile, Wally was rolling around on the ground in laughter.

"Thanks for the concern, KF," Robin muttered as he got to his feet. _The only thing that could make this worse was if-_

_"Batman. 02."_

_-was if **Batman **showed up._

"What's going on here?" his mentor demanded, taking in the sights of his bleeding Bird and a chortling Kid Flash.

"Nothing!" Robin insisted, feeling his cheeks heat up. "I...uh...tripped over Wolf, and he got startled, so he buried his nails in my arm."

Batman arched an eyebrow beneath his cowl. "That doesn't look like an animal induced wound."

"Idaredhimtorunwithscissorsandheaccidentallycuthimselfopen," Wally blurted out rapidly, trying (with little success) to calm his laughter.

"Robin?"

The Boy Wonder sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, that's what happened."

The others in the room couldn't tell, but Robin could see the barely visible amused smirk making it's way into Batman's expression.

_Can I go crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment now?_

"Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up," Batman said, leading his protégé in the direction of the med-bay.

Leaving Wally and Megan behind, the Caped Crusader allowed a full blown smirk to appear. "Running with scissors, huh?"

"I thought that was just a way to get kids to sit still," Robin muttered.

"Right. I guess you know better now."

"Definitely. Oh, but remind me to use the same dare against Kid next time. Except with something worse. Like your utility belt."

"I think if I caught Kid Flash with my utility belt, he would come back a changed man."

"Exactly."

* * *

**Lame ending (and probably story. My brain goes to weird places), I know. For some reason, all my endings are terrible. **

**Anyway, it's been a few days since my last Young Justice episode, but I'm pretty sure Batman is 02 when he enters, right?**

**Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!**


	3. Woozy

**The inspiration for this one-shot came from me getting my own cavities filled and feeling sick/woozy from the dream gas they gave me. (Never using that stuff again.)**

**Oh, and I don't own any of the Young Justice members from the last chapter. (Forgot that part.)**

**And also, thank you, Queen Sound, for confirming my Batman introduction predicament. ;D**

* * *

"And you're not coming with us for recon _why?_" Wally demanded, arms crossed.

"Relax, KF," Robin insisted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You don't need me. I've taught Kaldur a few simple hacking tricks if you need them."

"I agree with Kid," Conner spoke up, an uncertain frown marring his features. "Where are you going?"

Before Robin could answer, Megan broke in, "He's going to the dentist. For fillings."

The Boy Wonder arched an eyebrow. "Mind reading? I thought we told you you should only do that with the bad guys."

Miss Martian blushed. "Sorry. Habit."

"Batman's making me." Robin shrugged. "He found out that I'd been eating too many of Miss M.'s cookies when I had an awful toothache a few nights ago."

"Really?" the only girl on the team exclaimed worriedly. "So this is my fault?"

"No way, babe," Wally reassured her, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "You can't control how many treats Rob consumes."

Robin opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by the alert chiming from his phone. Appointment time.

"Good luck, my friend," Kaldur said, resting a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder.

Robin flashed a grin. "It's just fillings, but thanks. I'll be back in a few hours."

He waved to his friends and ducked into the zeta beam, appearing in the Hall of Justice to find Bruce waiting for him.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be. But...is it normal to be more nervous about the dentist than a brawl with Joker?"

His mentor smirked. "I think it's a healthy dose of reality, yes. Normal kids go through dentist appointments all the time."

"Right. You're...you're going to stick around, though?" Robin asked, feeling embarrassed at the uncertainty in his voice. _Really? Man up._

But Bruce just smiled like he found the whole thing endearing. "Of course."

The boy felt relief surge through him. He could always count on Bruce to be there for him.

* * *

Bruce flipped through a magazine, his brain barely registering the words on the page. His gaze would discreetly slip over to the door leading to the back room where Dick was currently residing every few seconds.

He wasn't worried about the boy. He knew everything would be fine. But there was that tiny parental instinct that insisted his son needed him.

After all, Dick had seemed unreasonably (but almost adorably) concerned about getting his cavities filled. And considering the kid rarely got worried about anything...well, Bruce was uncertain.

Not long after the thought crossed his mind, the door opened and Bruce got to his feet as Dick stumbled out, looking a little green around the edges.

"He's a tad woozy," the dentist's assistant informed him with a reassuring smile. "He didn't respond to the dream gas well."

Bruce mentally facepalmed. He should have known better. Dick often found his metabolism weak at breaking down illness.

"I'm fine," the boy said, tripping and falling into his father's waiting arms. "But you can stop the merry-go-round now...I want to get off...This horse isn't suiting me..."

"He might spout nonsense, too," the assistant continued. "As you can tell."

Bruce nodded and shooed her away. "You okay, Dick?"

"Yeah...Yeah, totally...You never told me you had a twin..."

Bruce shook his head as he picked Dick up bridal style, striding out the door and toward his car. "Dream gas. Didn't you question their decision to use that?"

"They said it would make it hurt less..." Dick returned, his head lolling to rest against Bruce's shoulder. "I thought that sounded nice..."

Bruce smiled softly and shook his head, deciding it best not to answer as he gently lowered his ward into the passenger seat, buckling him in. He wouldn't admit it, but he almost enjoyed this. Taking care of Dick like he was eight years old again brought back pleasant memories.

He shut the door and walked around to the other side, seating himself behind the wheel. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Dick was quiet the whole way to the mansion, so Bruce immediately assumed he was asleep as he unloaded the boy and brought him up to his room.

He soon found he was wrong as Dick murmured. "I love you, Dad."

The statement made Bruce hesitate in the process of tucking Dick in. He knew that the assistant had mentioned the side effects of the gas including random nonsense. But in his experience, words always had a meaning to them no matter how crazy they sounded.

That's why an all out smile lit Bruce's features as he bent over to smooth his son's hair and feather a light kiss on Dick's forehead. "I love you, too, son."

* * *

**I know that was a cliché ending, but it just felt right, you know?**

**A bit of a heads up: updates will be infrequent because school starts up for me tomorrow (homeschooled) and I feel like I'm being slammed with the amount of subjects I have this year. I promise I'll try not to abandon this story like I have my other ones. (Sorry!)**

**But enough about that. Let me know what you think about this one. Thanks!**


	4. Belonephobia

**Phew! First day of school, check. **

**Special thanks to TheImaginativeFox for the inspiration for this next one-shot. Good luck with your fillings in a few weeks, BTW.**

**Oh, and I forgot to add that this might possibly be triggering to anyone that has a phobia. I'm honestly not sure.**

* * *

Robin eyed the clock worriedly, trying to come up with a good place to hide before Batman got home. His mentor had informed him that he'd be receiving his Tetanus shot (as all young teenagers did) after he returned from the Watchtower.

Unfortunately for the Boy Wonder, he had an almost unnatural fear (belonephobia, if you will) of sharp pointed objects, especially needles. He'd never told Batman this, of course, for risk of coming off as weak or pathetic.

Sure, he'd come close to letting out his secret fear to Alfred and Wally, but one, KF wasn't always the most subtle person in the world, and two, Alfred told Bruce everything.

So, that was why he was attempting to hide up in the rafters of the attic when Bruce mounted the creaking stairs into the room.

"Dick?" he called, his eyes scanning the room. "Come out. I know you're in here."

"How?" Robin whined, flipping down gracefully to land on his feet.

"You've hidden up there since you were eight."

"Oh..."

Dick sighed, removing his mask at an urging from Bruce as he strode reluctantly out the door.

* * *

It wasn't long before Dick was perched on the operating table in the Batcave where Alfred patched Bruce up after a night out as Batman. The cool metal definitely didn't ease his nerves.

Dick unconsciously tapped his fingers against the table, his short legs dangling over thin air.

"Stop fidgeting," Bruce chided gently as he stood off to the side watching Alfred prepare the syringe.

"Sorry."

On the bright side (if there was one to this whole situation), Dick wasn't forced to go to the doctor unless something was horribly wrong with him. Otherwise, Alfred performed the simple procedures.

"I won't lie to you, Master Richard," Alfred said as he approached with the shot. "This will pinch."

Upon seeing the needle, Dick immediately felt his heartbeat accelerate to the point of his chest hurting. His brain became surrounded with a cloud of panic, and he curled into himself, hyperventilating.

He faintly heard Bruce and Alfred calling his name, but the pure _overwhelming _terror was too much for him to break free from.

_"I've always wanted to carve this Bird," Joker cackles, fingering the comically large syringe._

_My eyes widen as I struggle against the binds holding me to the metal desk. I had always had a slight fear of needles, but this sent me over the edge. _

_"What's the matter? Worm got your tongue?"_

_I shake my head, my eyes closed tight, the word 'please' leaving my mouth several times in a row. My pleading had no effect as I felt the unbearably sharp pain of the overly huge syringe poke my arm._

_It wasn't long before the poison took hold and I felt myself sinking into unconscious oblivion..._

* * *

"Dick...Dick? Dick!"

The panicked sound of Bruce's voice woke Dick and his eyes fluttered open to find both his adopted father and Alfred crouching over him, identical looks of fear and concern in their eyes.

For a split second, Dick was confused. Why were they looking at him like that? The last thing he remembered was the needle...oh. Right.

"I passed out, didn't I?" he asked with a sigh.

"Yes," Bruce answered, the panic slowly fading from his voice. "What happened?"

Dick sat up shakily and examined himself as if to make sure he was all still there. "I...um...lack of oxyg-no, food. Lack of food. Yeah."

Alfred left, feeling that this was a private affair, and knowing that Master Richard was okay.

Bruce arched an eyebrow at the boy's rushed statement. "Lack of food? We both know that wasn't the reason you fainted."

Dick sighed again, casting his gaze to the floor in shame. "Fine. I have a phobia of needles."

"You do?" Bruce asked, sounding genuinely bemused. "Why didn't you tell me? How long have you had it?"

"Ever since..." Dick trailed off for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck in another form of embarrassment. "Ever since that run in with Joker a few months ago. You know? When you found me dying from a liquid form of laughing gas?"

Understanding dawned in Bruce's eyes. "That doesn't answer my question of why you didn't confide in me."

Dick paused for a moment more, turning eyes like broken glass upwards. "I didn't want you to worry about me. Or to treat me any differently."

Faster than he could say 'not feeling the aster', Bruce had taken one large step forward to envelop his son in strong arms.

Dick instantly relaxed, blinking away the tears that had threatened to fall.

"Don't _ever_ keep something like that from me again, understand? You can tell me anything," Bruce scolded softly, not actually angry. He was too relieved that the boy was all right.

"I won't," Dick said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. "I promise."

He knew his belonephobia wasn't gone, but he did know that with his guardian by his side, he didn't need to worry. After all, what was more safe than living in the same house as Batman?

* * *

**Ugh...why can't I end anything adequately?**

**As a side note, the feelings Dick was going through as he slipped into shock? The hyperventilating, and fast heart rate, and all that? That's me speaking from my own experience. Minus the memories, that is. I have an unnatural and extremely strong fear of sharks. But I digress.**

**Thank you for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! You guys are the best motivators. Let me know what you thought of this one. Thanks again!**


	5. Late

**What are the odds that my Spanish lesson talked about how dangerous sharks are? I think the universe hates me. Seriously, I had to cover up the cartoon drawing of a shark to spare my heart. Gosh, I'm pathetic.**

**But you don't want to hear about my life. Here's the next one-shot. Hope you enjoy! (Oh, and I don't own any of the characters. Except for Raymond, the stereotypical school bully, that is.)**

* * *

"Master Bruce, I believe you're forgetting something."

Bruce looked up from his paperwork in confusion at the comment. "What are you talking about, Alfred?"

"Or should I say, someone?"

_Oh my gosh, Dick._

Bruce promptly shot to his feet, shaking his head in shame even as he grabbed his coat to protect himself from the crisp October air. How could he be so forgetful? This was the second time this week that he'd forgotten to pick Dick up from school. How scatterbrained could he get?

"Oh, but, Master Bruce?"

"What?" he almost snapped at his butler as he dashed down the front steps toward his car.

"I suggest you spend the rest of the afternoon with Master Richard. The boy certainly needs it."

Bruce wasn't entirely sure what Alfred meant by that (he thought he did an adequate job at spending time with his son), but he nodded in agreement. "Got it. Be back in a few."

* * *

Dick tapped his foot, looking both ways up and down the street, standing alone in front of Gotham Academy.

Was Bruce really late _again? _How many hints did Dick have to drop in order to get his guardian to remember he needed a ride home?

"Well, well. If it isn't Geeky Grayson. Did your Daddy forget to pick you up again?"

Dick inwardly groaned. Of all the days to be bothered by the school bully. Didn't he have anything better to do than pick on younger kids?

"Raymond," he said, his voice light and calm. "Did you have to stay for detention again? Or do you just relish bullying kids with higher IQ points than you?"

Raymond's eyes narrowed. Dick noticed that his nostrils flared like a bull on the prowl. "You better watch your mouth, Grayson. Unless you don't care about keeping all your teeth."

Dick offered a tight-lipped smile. "Oh! You mean like your mouthful of eight pearly whites?"

"That's it, punk! I'm going to-"

"-beat me up. Yeah, what else is new? You know, for a guy of your stature, I'm surprised you even have the mental capacity to strike me. After all, how can you tell the difference between my butt and my head? Considering yours look so similar. If I'm not mistaken, the term 'butthead' was named after you, right?"

Okay, so Dick knew he was going too far, but he was hoping to stall long enough for Bruce to show up. His father couldn't be that far away, could he?

"Why, you little...you..." Raymond sputtered, thoroughly flustered.

"Did I just render you speechless?" Dick asked with awe. "Wow! Wait. That's never been much of a feat. Never mind."

Raymond shook his head, overcoming the initial shock, before covering the last few steps between him and the (_much) _smaller boy.

Dick was seriously tempted to break out his ninja moves (as Wally called them), but he knew better. He couldn't risk exposing his secret identity as the other half of the Dynamic Duo.

So, he merely had to stand there and accept the beating. Talk about mortifying.

_Thump. _There went the feeling in his upper left bicep.

_Thump. _And there went his breath. Man, being socked in the gut sure _hurt._

_Thump._ When had the sky gotten right in front of him?

The sound of a car pulling up around the building brought Raymond to a stop. "This isn't over, geek."

"Can't wait..." Dick wheezed as he staggered to his feet, watching the bully dart off. Of course Bruce showed up _now._

Dick straightened up, trying his best to hide the beating he'd just took, and strolled over to the car, opening the door to slide in.

He caught Bruce looking at him out of the corner of his eye as his guardian (_Ironic description at the moment,_ Dick couldn't help but think) said, "I'm sorry I was late. I got caught up with paperwork. You know how it is."

Dick only shrugged, turning his head to look out the window to avoid the questioning about the darkening color around his right eye. _Please stop talking. Please stop talking. Please stop-_

"I was thinking we could spend the rest of the afternoon together. Just you and me."

_Great. Totally not asterous today, Bruce. _

"Dick? Is everything okay?"

_You didn't answer him. You'd better before he-_

The car eased to the right as it was taken off the road and put into park. _Before he pulls over..._

"Look, I know this is the second time I forgot to pick you up, but I'm trying to make it up to you," Bruce said, a slight berating tone in his voice. "The least you can do is reply. Even if it's to yell at me."

Dick's mind whirled. He had to get Bruce off his back. If he could just-

Too late. A hand was laid on his shoulder and he was forced to turn and look at his father.

"Dick! What happened?"

"What happened?" Dick snapped, exasperation tumbling forth. "What happened is you were late. _Again!_ And the school's resident meathead took a swing at me. I couldn't fight back because you told me never to use my skills in front of civilians out of costume."

"I didn't realize-"

"No! Of course you didn't! Because you're too caught up in your own world to worry about me, your little Bird! Or rather, your little _nuisance."_

"Dick, I never-"

"Save it. I'm walking home."

Dick violently thrust open the door and stormed away from the car, pulling his coat close around him as the wind howled. He instantly began feeling slightly guilty. He hadn't even realized he'd been _that_ mad at Bruce.

But that guilt left as quickly as it had come. He had every right to be mad! Because of Bruce, he'd had to succumb to a beating he certainly didn't deserve. Well, he hadn't deserved it at the beginning, anyway.

Dick hadn't been walking long before he heard footsteps crunching on fallen leaves and twigs behind him. He ignored the sound, turning his gaze to his feet as he picked up the pace.

"Dick, wait. Give me a chance to apologize," Bruce insisted, easily falling into step with the boy.

_Curse my short legs. _"Why should I?"

"Because I'm your father. And I feel awful for being late and subjecting you to what you went through. If anyone deserves a fist in the face, it's me."

"Well..." Dick slowed down, turning his eyes up to Bruce. "You _could _use a good whack upside the head every now and then."

Bruce chuckled softly. "You've got a point. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed you would be fine if I was late. I should have strived to be here on time. It won't happen again."

Dick looked him up and down for a moment. "You promise?"

"I promise," Bruce said emphatically, raising his right hand.

Dick was silent for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll forgive you. But there's one condition."

"Which is?" Bruce asked skeptically.

A mischievous light gleamed in Dick's eyes. "I get to use your utility belt in our next training session."

Bruce paused, mulling it over. "You strike a hard bargain, but okay."

Dick grinned as he followed his guardian back to the car. The day was finally starting to look up.

* * *

**This one was longer! I consider that an accomplishment.**

**Many thanks to those of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed! It really does boost my confidence.**

**Thanks for reading! Until next time. Iron Robin out. *ninjas out***


	6. Freezing

**Before you start reading, you have my deepest apologies for not updating sooner. I've started writing for OYAN (One Year Adventure Novel). Add that to my other fanfiction stories, and you have a full writing schedule. But hey, I finally updated for you guys! Happy?**

**Let's just say if you recognize them, I don't own them. **

* * *

Robin peered through his high tech binoculars, examining the Gotham City Bank across the street. Rain poured relentlessly down around him, and it wasn't the first time he was thankful Batman had gotten him a thermal cape. He still shivered a bit, but at least he wasn't freezing to death.

Speaking of Batman, Robin couldn't help but think about how much trouble he was going to be in when his mentor found out about what he was doing. Bruce had been called away on urgent Justice League business (something about a dying planet and an evacuation). Considering Batman was the Young Justice's coordinator, he'd specifically told Dick not to go on any missions unless it was absolutely necessary, _and _he brought some back up.

Well...let's just say this job didn't meet either of those criteria. Robin had gotten a tip saying that the bank was going to be robbed tonight, and he _hadn't _called the Young Justice team. What could he say? He worked better alone.

"Okay, Mr. Burglar," Robin said to himself, scanning the building. "Where are you?"

Realizing the rain wasn't helping, and inwardly smacking himself for not thinking of it earlier, Robin switched his binoculars to infrared vision. There! Right in front of the vault! It was the burglar. But he saw he'd been wrong calling the criminal a "mister."

Robin pocketed his binoculars. He flipped backwards off the roof, grabbing onto a few balconies as he descended so he wouldn't spill his guts all over the concrete. Landing in a hunched over position similar to Batman's, he took off at a run across the street, paused next to a window, and crouched down so he wouldn't alert the burglar. He carefully peeked over the edge, and when he saw who it was, he burst through the window, sending glass flying every which way.

"Catwoman," Robin said, pulling out a few birdarangs and preparing to strike. "Don't you ever get tired of being a cat burglar?"

"Robin," Catwoman returned, almost purring. "Don't you ever get tired of locking me up?"

Robin smiled grimly. "That's just what I do."

Without another word, he hurled the birdarangs at her, grabbing more from his belt as soon as they left his hands. He had to roll to the side when Catwoman flicked her whip.

"That the best you got?" Robin taunted.

"I'm just getting started," she hissed, revealing a second whip.

He did a backwards handspring to avoid the next few deafening cracks of the whips. He had to admit she wasn't too shabby. At the very least she was making him out of breath.

"I've fought the Joker," Robin said, jumping over the ends of the ropes, launching a few more birdarangs that Catwoman barely dodged. "And Two-Face. And Bane. So I have to say that you're not nearly as difficult as they are. Good try, though."

Catwoman let out an angry yowl, maneuvering her whips to wrap around him. She smiled in triumph, believing she'd won.

Robin grinned. "Big mistake."

He grabbed both ropes with his hands, preparing the charges he had in his gloves. Before she could react, he'd tazed her whips, sending her to the ground convulsing. Robin wiggled out of the ropes, walking over to Catwoman while preparing some handcuffs.

When she struggled to rise, he shook his head. "I wouldn't bother. You've lost."

"Maybe _I _have," she returned, and he couldn't understand why she was smiling or why she seemed so pleased. "But I'm not alone."

Oh. _That _was why.

Robin whirled around, whipping out birdarangs. But he wasn't fast enough. Cold penetrated his entire being as Mister Freeze activated his freeze gun. Unable to move, Robin's mind whirled.

He was so stupid! Of _course, _Mister Freeze hadn't appeared in his binoculars. He wouldn't have much of a heat signature to see. They both needed money. Catwoman because it was her thing, Mister Freeze because he was always upgrading his suit and his weapons.

Robin was still thinking about how idiotic he was when the cold consumed his mind and he blacked out.

* * *

The first thing Robin thought upon waking up was about how _cold _he was. Like, seriously. He could feel his entire body quaking. Why would he be so...oh. It all came rushing back. The solo job. The bank. Catwoman. Mister Freeze.

Robin groaned as his stupidity hit him once again.

"Hey, he's awake! Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty! Welcome back to the real world."

Robin pried open his eyes to find Kid Flash and Aqualad standing over him. Aqualad was his usual emotionless self, and KF was grinning from ear to ear.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Kaldur asked, always the one to get straight to business.

"I w-was an idiot a-a-and got myself f-f-frozen," Robin answered, his teeth chattering. He snuggled deeper underneath the blanket only to realize it _wasn't _a blanket. It was Batman's cape. "Oh no..."

"Yup! You're so busted, dude. When Aqualad and I found you in that bank, we called the Justice League."

"W-why would you d-do that?" Robin demanded, trying to sound angry. But that was a little hard when you couldn't stop shivering.

"Because your vitals were dropping fast," Kaldur replied reasonably. "We did not know how to melt the ice fast enough, so we contacted the League."

"Yeah, you should've seen how fast Batman and Superman got here!" Wally crowed, seeming way too chipper for Robin's tastes. "I mean, it was probably a record!"

"S-S-Superman?"

"Well, duh! Who else was going to thaw you out in record time?"

"I'm s-s-so busted," Robin moaned, pulling Batman's cape up over his head.

"You're right," the owner of said cape confirmed, his voice as gruff as ever if not more so.

Robin peeked out over the edge of the material to see Batman striding in. It was weird seeing him capeless.

"Aqualad, Kid Flash. I need time with my protégé."

"But we-" Wally started to protest, only to be shut up by Kaldur.

"Of course," the older boy said, dragging the younger with him through the door.

When they were alone, Batman crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at his young apprentice. "What were you thinking? I specifically told you to take backup if you found a necessary mission. And it sounds to me like this wasn't one of them."

"But I had to!" Robin insisted, beginning to shiver less. At least his teeth weren't chattering much anymore.

"_Why?_" his mentor demanded.

"I work better alone."

"No. No, you don't. That's why you're part of a team, Robin."

"Okay, _fine. _I wanted to prove that I didn't need you or my team to get the job done," Robin admitted, sitting up and crossing his arms. His defiance had little effect (at least to him) because he had to grab the cape that slipped off him when he sat up and wrap it around his shoulders again. "It should have been an easy mission! If it had just been Catwoman-"

"But it _wasn't _just Catwoman," Batman replied, his voice raising slightly. "Mister Freeze was there as well."

"Why are you repeating what I already know?" Robin asked, his voice raising as well.

"Because you could have died!"

Robin froze at the mix of anger, desperation, and fear in his mentor's voice. He hadn't heard Batman like this before.

Batman sighed, finally lowering his gaze to the floor. "You could have died. And I wasn't around to save you."

"But, Bruce," Robin whispered, risking using the alter ego name. "You won't always be around to save me."

"I know," Batman returned, all gruffness leaving his voice to be replaced with softness. "But that doesn't mean I can't try."

Robin hesitated for a moment before lunging off the table and out from underneath the cape into his mentor's waiting arms. "I'm sorry I scared you," he said quietly.

Batman held him close, and Robin felt more warmth seep into his bones. A different kind of warmth, but it helped the cold fade. "It's fine. Just don't do it again."

"I won't," Robin promised, stepping back. "But hey...I scared you! Who was the last person that did that?"

His mentor chuckled lightly. "Don't push it, Robin. I'm still your father, and that means I can still ground you."

Robin shrugged, grinning. "If it means going home, I think I can live with that."

Batman smiled slightly, putting his arm around his protégé's shoulders as he led the boy toward the Zeta Tube. "Sounds like a plan. How does a warm bowl Alfred's homemade chicken noodle soup sound?"

"Asterous!"

* * *

**This chapter is somewhat inspired by Tayashia pointing out to me that I didn't have many Robin moments. I hope this was Robin enough for you, Tayashia.**

**Follows, favorites, and reviews are always welcome, and they're still excellent motivators. See y'all next time! *ninjas out***


	7. Gravity

**Nothing new here. Just that I fail when it comes to updating.**

* * *

_Gravity:_ _the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass, _according to Google. Robin had always viewed gravity as a physical substance. It was the nonliving force that kept him grounded. Or, at least, he'd always thought that until today.

He and Batman had been tasked with the mission of traveling to space in order to repair one of the government's space stations. Apparently, the controls were going haywire. They'd been told one of the airtight doors had nearly taken out a man's arm last week. The people on the space station had been evacuated after that.

When Robin had asked why a group of astronauts couldn't have taken the job, he was told it was 'too dangerous.' Well, that didn't matter. Dangerous was his middle name. Okay, technically it was John, but you get his drift.

When the Dynamic Duo had arrived at said space station in their rocket (that's right. They had their own rocket. Asterous, right?), Robin had shed his space suit.

Batman shot him a disapproving look and he protested, "I can move easier without it!"

"And what makes you think you'll need to be able to move easier?"

Robin didn't have an answer for that, so he shrugged. In truth, the suit was just heavy and cumbersome and he didn't want to wear it.

Instead of ordering the boy to put it back on (he knew that would do no good), Batman shook his head and began to navigate the halls without another word.

Robin trotted after him, swiveling his head around to take in all the sights. "It's not so bad here. It can't compare to the Watchtower, but still."

Batman shot him a look over his shoulder but said nothing, clearly wishing they could do their work in silence. Well, he should have known better. Robin wasn't one to be quiet unless the situation demanded it.

Every time they passed through a door, Robin couldn't help but do his best to cross over each threshold quickly. He wanted to keep both arms, thank you.

Fortunately, they hadn't run into any problems by the time they prepared to cross through the last room, otherwise known as the place where the astronauts went out into space to make repairs when needed. Batman made it to the other side, Robin a few paces behind him.

"Piece of-" Robin started to say before a shrill beeping sound filled the room and the door to the blackness of space opened. Faster than he could let out a gasp of horror, Robin was catapulted into the air as the vacuum of space tried to suck him out.

The pressure causing his ears to pop almost didn't let him hear Batman call his name. Not that it mattered. He knew his mentor had noticed his predicament by the vice-like grip he had on his arm. Robin tried not to focus on how much that hurt. It wasn't like he hadn't had his shoulder dislocated before. He also tried not to focus on how the only thing keeping him from being pulled to his death was the strength of the Batman.

He still couldn't hear a thing, but he could read lips pretty well. And it looked like Batman was trying to tell him something. Something about a hook?

Oh! His grappling hook. Of course.

He pulled the gun-like device from his belt with great difficulty. Space obviously wanted him _bad _considering he could barely fight the invisible force to aim the gun at the rail on the stairway leading to the adjacent room below him. It hit the mark, of course, but now it felt like _both _his arms were being pulled out of their sockets.

That is, until he began to feel Batman's grip slip. Robin had a feeling that if he let go, he'd be a goner. Especially since it looked like the railing was beginning to bend under the strain of keeping the boy tethered.

Robin maneuvered his hand around to grasp his mentor's wrist as tight as he could. "Don't let go!"

He saw Batman shake his head. He hoped to see a determined, resolute look in the Caped Crusader's eyes, but what he saw made his heart sink. He saw fear. Maybe others would think he was crazy because Batman looked the same as always, but Robin had grown accustomed to recognizing the miniscule hints of emotion in his mentor's eyes. He definitely saw fear. And it wasn't long before terror began to squeeze at his own heart. Not that he hadn't been terrified before, but still. This was more like an icy, heavy feeling of dread.

Still keeping his eyes on the man keeping him alive, he saw that fear being replaced by the determination he had desperately wanted to see. It made him feel a little better.

At least until the determined look was accompanied by the releasing of his hold on Robin.

The Boy Wonder would have gasped had the air in the chamber not been running out. In a split second, he whipped his now free hand around to join his other hand in grasping his grappling hook device. But only a few seconds later, the railing on the stairs gave way and Robin felt himself hurtling toward space. His heart dropped. This was it. This was the end. And Batman wasn't even standing there anymore. He'd disappeared.

Robin was going to die and Batman wasn't even there to say goodbye.

Tumbling head over heels through the air, he suspected he'd feel the oxygen deprived hold of space any second. That is, until the alarm that had been sounding in the room stopped and he felt himself smack into the wall. Or rather, the door.

It knocked the breath out of him and he slid to the floor wheezing. But he was alive. Aching all over and out of breath, but alive.

Seconds later, he felt a strong hand surrounding his upper arm, helping him to rise to his feet. "Robin, are you all right?"

Robin nodded, bending over and resting his hands against his knees, panting. "Yeah...Yeah, I...I think so."

Batman surprised him by pulling him into a brief hug (the Batman didn't generally show emotion. Bruce Wayne did, but not Batman) before holding his shoulders and looking him up and down. "Are you sure?"

Robin nodded once more before a stream of words began to slip out at warp speed, stammered because of his lack of breath, but fast nonetheless. "Look, I...I'm sorry. If...If I had only...listened to you when we...first got here...this wouldn't have happened. I...I should have left my suit on and..."

He shook his head, casting his eyes down at the floor in shame. If he'd left his suit on, he wouldn't have been so worried about getting pulled out into space. Not to mention the jets in the boots that would have helped him escape the vacuum.

"Listen to me," Batman said in a firm voice. "You couldn't have known that the door would open. But..."

Robin braced himself for the scolding. Here it came...

"But yes, you shouldn't have discarded your suit so carelessly. I can count on this never happening again, correct?"

"Well, we'll probably never be in a situation like this again, so..."

"_Robin."_

He sighed and nodded. "Okay. This won't happen again."

"Good. Now come help me fix the controls. It could take a while. Most of them are almost damaged beyond repair."

Robin followed before something in that sentence struck him. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"You don't think that door closed on its own, do you?"

He thought about that for a moment before grinning. So _that's _where Batman had disappeared to. He hadn't left him to die. He'd fled to the control room to shut the door.

"Hey," Robin called out, causing Batman to pause for a moment. "Um...thank you for saving me."

Batman was silent for a moment before offering a nearly miniscule smile down at his apprentice. "Anytime."

As they continued along into the control room, Robin decided it was time to change his view on gravity. Who said it had to be a nonliving force that merely kept him rooted to the floor? No, it was so much more than that. At least for him.

Batman was _his _gravity. Both physically and emotionally. And that was never going to change.


	8. Failsafe

**Well...gosh. It's been a while since I've updated, huh? And yet, I'm still getting views, favorites, and follows. Which is part of why I decided to update, actually. That and I just re-watched _Failsafe. _I know there were several fics about this episode, but I couldn't resist writing one of my own. So, I hope you enjoy! And I also hope you accept this one-shot as an apology on my part for not updating in forever.**

* * *

How had everything gone so terribly wrong? It had been intended to be a simple training exercise to test the team's initiative in responding to dire situations. They all knew that going in. That was why, as Manhunter had said, they had barely mourned when Wolf perished. But after Artemis had died, that was when everything went off course.

First Artemis, then Aqualad, Superboy and finally, Kid Flash and himself, Robin. But that wasn't even the worst part. Yes, it had been awful seeing his teammates die one by one. It had been like a knife to his heart every single time (and Robin knew what knives felt like).

But no. The worst part was coming to terms with the fact that Batman, his mentor and his father, was gone forever. After Miss Martian had taken control of the telepathic simulation, reality flooded in. The reality of how Robin was now alone in the parent department. It had hurt. It had hurt so _ridiculously _much. Naturally, Robin hadn't shown much (if any) emotion. One of the many things he had learned from being Batman's partner was that you could never let emotion cloud your judgment. That didn't mean Robin didn't feel _anything._ No, he probably felt too much. But he hadn't let it show and he had continued with the mission.

Except now that the mission was over, all that pure _agony _came pouring back in. But once again, Robin forced himself to put a lid on all of it and instead surveyed his teammates behind his dark shades (he was thankful that they hid his eyes and all the pain he was feeling). They were all shaken. M'gann was sobbing against Captain Marvel while Conner stood awkwardly by, as if he wanted to help but didn't know how. Artemis and Wally had moved to the side of the room and were talking in soft tones, their expressions saying more than any words could ever express. And Kaldur had stepped aside to talk with Manhunter, Batman, and Red Tornado.

Robin (for he couldn't think of himself as Dick Grayson right now without losing it) didn't have the heart to eavesdrop. He remained where he was, letting his legs dangle off the side of the metal table he hadn't bothered to get off of. He pushed aside all thoughts of the exercise, deciding to study his feet instead of confronting his whirlwind of emotions.

Robin didn't know how long he sat there, his head bowed and his mind blank. He finally looked up when someone laid a gentle yet firm hand on his solider.

"Robin," Batman said, his voice both even and concerned. He kept his voice low in order to avoid disturbing the others. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Robin said shortly, his voice sharp. It was the only tone he could think of using without risking breaking down. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Batman removed his hand, his ever present frown deepening. "You're being rather nonchalant about this."

Robin shrugged, leaning back on the table, propping himself up by placing his palms against the cool surface. The solidity of the metal grounded him enough for him to go on. "You're one to talk," he said with a harsh bark of a laugh. "I'm being chalant about how _I'm fine._"

"You just went through your teammates dying and the destruction of life as we know it. I don't see how-"

"It's not like I'm not used to that sort of thing," Robin interrupted, his voice dry and humorless for once. "I watched by parents die when I was eight. I think I started developing a tolerance for this sort of thing early on."

Batman's eyes narrowed. Anyone else might have seen it as a glare, but Robin saw it as an expression of concern. "Robin..."

"Look, can we go? It's been a long day," Robin muttered, finally pushing himself off the table and landing with a nearly inaudible _thud._

His mentor looked like he wanted to argue, but he merely said, "Fine. Do you want to say goodbye to your team?"

Robin glanced over his shoulder at the others, noticing how they all seemed busy. Plus, he didn't trust himself to speak to them right now. Not while he was teetering on the edge of losing his cool. "I think I'll pass," he said, keeping his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

Batman didn't voice a word of protest, instead turning and leading Robin toward the Zeta Tube and back home.

* * *

Bruce wanted so badly to help Dick. He had even taken the evening off from his duties at Wayne Tech and had made it very clear to the Justice League only to contact him if it were an emergency. But every time Bruce had attempted to get Dick to open up, he had been brushed off. Every question about how Dick was feeling resulted in an answer that involved the word 'fine.' Dick had simply trained, done his homework, and gone to bed without so much as a smile. He had even neglected dinner, something that Dick rarely did. (He might not eat as much as Kid Flash, but he was still a growing boy.)

Now, Bruce sat in his office, shuffling through paperwork without really looking at it, thinking about the events of the day. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost (_almost_) jumped when Alfred spoke from his spot standing in front to the desk, his hands clasped behind his back.

"You seem distracted, sir. Perhaps you should consider taking the _entire _evening off? Maybe you could even go to bed at a decent hour."

Bruce could only manage a slight smirk at that. "I'm just thinking about Dick, Alfred. I guess I'm still working on the father thing, even after all these years."

"Ah. Master Richard resisted your efforts to comfort him?"

"Exactly." Bruce sighed, tossing his pen aside and leaning back in his chair. "That's my fault, isn't it?"

Alfred was silent for several moments. "If I may be so bold, sir? While you make an excellent Bruce Wayne, your demeanor as the Batman can be rather emotionless at times. Even towards Master Richard."

"That's what I thought. I just don't want Robin _and _Dick becoming as cold and distant as I am."

As it was, that wish was likely going to be granted sooner rather than later. For at that moment, a loud, almost bloodcurdling yell echoed through the halls. It was cut off pretty soon after being sounded, but not soon enough to avoid detection.

Bruce was on his feet before the short scream ended, because that hadn't been one of Robin's usual cries of pain. It had been filled with enough terror to send a slight chill shuddering down Bruce's spine.

* * *

Robin had tried so hard to keep his emotions inside, but he had let his guard down upon falling asleep. (In his defense, he hadn't planned on falling asleep in the first place.) Now he was just the 13-year-old Dick Grayson who had just had a horrible nightmare, tangled up in damp, sweat-soaked sheets. He hugged his knees, rocking back and forth and trembling from head to toe. Silent tears that he couldn't even feel trailed down his cheeks while his blue eyes were wide and focused on nothing in particular.

And yet, even as Bruce burst into the room, Dick shook his head. "I...I'm...I-I'm f...f-fine," he panted, both from the sobs threatening to be heard and the fact that he was hyperventilating. "I-I'm not...I d-don't...Need you t-to..."

The logical side of Dick's brain reprimanded him as Bruce wordlessly extracted his son from the blankets and pulled him into a tight but reassuring embrace. The logical side of Dick's brain insisted that he get a hold of himself and be the strong, unmovable figure that Batman would be proud of. But the emotional side won out as Dick sank into Bruce's embrace, wrapping his slim arms around his father's waist. The sobs escaped, changing the trembling he had been experiencing into all out violent shaking. It wasn't the delicate crying you saw on T.V. It was the ugly, gut-wrenching, puffy-eyed, runny-nosed sobbing that came from actually letting everything out through crying.

And honestly? At this point, Dick didn't even care enough to be embarrassed. He just let himself cry as Bruce held him firmly, methodically moving his hand in circles along Dick's back. Except when Bruce murmured, "Shh, you're okay. I've got you. We're okay," Dick only began to cry harder (if that was even possible).

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, Dick's sobs calmed down enough to turn into the shaky, hiccuping breaths that came after.

"I-I'm sorry," he said after he was able to speak again. "I-It's just that you...you died. I...It was awful watching Artemis a-and Kaldur and Conner a-and Wally, but...but you...you were the worst. I-I didn't even realize until after Artemis died that you had...But it just hit me all of a sudden and..."

Dick had to stop there before a fresh round of sobs occurred, because he doubted he had enough energy left to continue along those lines. But Bruce seemed to understand perfectly, even through all the pauses and gasps.

"I know," he said softly, with the most emotion in his voice since...well...ever. "And you don't know how sorry I am that you had to go through all that. If I had realized what would happen, I would never have suggested the exercise."

"It...It wasn't your fault."

"No, but your resistance to my attempts to help you _is _my fault."

Dick blinked a few times both in surprise and in an effort to dispel the last few tears lingering on his eyelashes. He knew that Bruce could never promise that Batman would never perish, but he hadn't seen this line of conversation coming. It almost sounded like Bruce was apologizing.

"As Batman, I allow you to think that the best route to take is that of stifled emotion. I allow you to think that being cold and calculating is the only way to go. Listen to me."

Dick's eyes widened slightly as Bruce leaned back and reached out a hand to tilt his chin up, forcing Dick to meet his own eyes.

"Never stop being you, okay? Never get rid of your sense of humor and your compassion for your teammates. Understand? Don't let Robin and Dick become one in the same."

As if in reassurance, Dick offered a half-hearted smirk. "Isn't that what alter egos are _for?_"

Bruce almost returned the smirk before his expression became serious once again. "And I promise you, Dick. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you don't have to worry about losing me."

It was as good as a promise as he was going to get, but somehow it still made Dick feel better. It somehow lifted the weight on his chest. That was why he was able to lean forward and hug Bruce again without feeling a hint of embarrassment. Besides, he knew what happened at the Manor stayed at the Manor.

Plus, it felt good when Bruce hugged him back and asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

Dick sniffed once and nodded, pulling back and removing himself from Bruce's lap (he hadn't even realized he was small enough to fit there, let alone that he was actually _there_). "Yeah, I'm starting to feel the aster already. But..."

Bruce frowned slightly at the sudden uncertain tone in Dick's voice. "What is it?"

"You...um...Can you stay? Just until I fall asleep," Dick said quickly, not wanting to sound too needy but most definitely _needing _his father.

"Of course," Bruce said with a slight smile as he helped Dick get situated comfortably in bed once again.

Dick murmured a "Thank you," already feeling sleep pulling at him again. He knew he was only able to feel that way because of Bruce's comforting presence, but he didn't mind. For now, he only wanted to enjoy way Bruce was soothingly rubbing his back again and the fact that his father wasn't going anywhere any time soon. At least, not tonight.

Dick knew he would always be terrified of losing Bruce, but that didn't matter right now. What mattered right now was that Bruce would always watch out for him as long as he was able. Really, that was all Dick could ask of his guardian.

And on top of it all, Dick could've sworn he heard a soft "I love you" as he drifted off. It was enough to put a smile on his face as he fell asleep.


	9. Lost

**Wow, I got loads of views after adding the _Failsafe _chapter to this fic. I guess they come from this story being moved back to the top. Frankly, I'm just glad people are still reading this after all this time. To say thank you, I went ahead and updated again! (Oh, and I apologize ahead of time for the cliffhanger at the end, but this one-shot was already long enough. I'll have to make it into a two-parter. Or maybe potentially longer than that? We'll see. I'll stop rambling now and let you read.)**

* * *

Robin barely repressed a frustrated sigh as he shifted from his sitting position into a crouching one. The roof he was resting on wasn't exactly the most comfortable seat in the world, but it gave him the best vantage point when it came to watching the manhole cover.

Why was he watching a boring old manhole cover? Because recent surveillance tapes from the store across the street had shown that this particular sewer entrance had been used several times in the past week. It had always been dark when the cameras caught a few shots of the infiltrators, but the footage showed enough for the team to determine that the two figures were definitely larger than life.

Bored out of his mind because of the definite lack of bad guys, Robin let his mind wander back to the conversation he and the team had had earlier that day. He didn't see any problems in getting a little distracted with his thoughts. After all, Miss M would telepathically warn him if something went wrong.

_"You want us to do recon on a _manhole?_" Wally asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Dude, that sounds incredibly boring."_

_Artemis shoved her elbow into his ribs, causing him to emit a muttered, "Ow!" She glared at him, obviously warning against calling Batman 'dude.'_

_Batman either didn't mind or didn't care, because he merely nodded. "Yes. This security footage has revealed a potential scheme going on between two unidentifiable figures."_

_Robin turned his attention to the holographic screens Batman pulled up, frowning at the 'unidentifiable figures.' "Right. I'd bet my utility belt that our perpetrators are Killer Croc and Bane."_

_Conner didn't look impressed as he muttered, "I bet I could take them."_

_"Your mission isn't to 'take them,'" Batman said, causing Conner to blink in surprise. Robin hid a smirk behind his hand. Conner was still learning that Batman may not have had super hearing, but he sure acted like he did. "At least, not at first. Your mission is to watch them to try and determine what they're planning. Only then can you decide if it's wise to engage in combat."_

_M'gann raised her hand cautiously as if she were in class. "Um, couldn't I just read their minds to find out what they're up to?"  
_

_This time it was Kaldur that had the answer. "No. We cannot risk detection. If either Killer Croc or Bane were to somehow feel you in their minds, we would lose the element of surprise."_

_"Exactly." Batman nodded at Kaldur in approval, and Robin would be lying if he said that didn't cause a brief flare of jealousy to light in his stomach. "Any other questions?"_

_When the only answer was a few head shakes, Batman nodded once more and turned to go. "Good luck."_

_After he had left, Robin began checking his utility belt, making sure he had everything he needed. "Okay! I say we go ahead and move out so that we can get a head start on-"_

_"Wait," Kaldur interjected, holding up a hand. Robin didn't appreciate being interrupted, but he turned his attention to Aqualad nonetheless. After all, he _was _the team leader.__ "I believe we have some time until it is necessary for us to begin our mission. It is wiser to wait until it is darker since the security tapes show that Croc and Bane only come out after the sun has gone down."  
_

_"Yeah, good point!" Wally jogged in place, shooting a longing glance toward the Cave's kitchen. "That means we can grab a bite to eat before-"_

_Kaldur interrupted again. "That is not exactly what I had in mind."_

_His serious tone of voice caused Wally to halt in his tracks. Well, that and the fact that Artemis grabbed his arm and gave it a sharp tug to keep him from leaving. "Ow! Again!"_

_She rolled her eyes briefly, releasing his arm but punching it in the process. "Oh, toughen up."_

_"Is something wrong?" Conner asked Kaldur, crossing his arms as his tone became more than a tad challenging. He seemed to relax a bit, however, when M'gann laid a calming hand on his arm._

_"We need to talk about what happened during our telepathic training exercise."_

_That effectively shut everyone up, and Robin cast his gaze toward the ground. It had been a week since the terrible exercise and he didn't want to bring it up again, but he knew they had to talk about it sometime. Apparently, now was that time.  
_

_"While I am aware of the fact that none of us particularly care to recall the experience, I do believe it is imperative that we do so."_

_"What is there to talk about?" Wally asked, his smile all too fake. "All of us died except we didn't, really, so everything's okay now."_

_"I-I really am sorry about everything," M'gann spoke up, her voice an ashamed whisper. "I...I didn't mean to...to..."_

_"Miss Martian, please," Kaldur said calmly, holding up a hand again. "No one blames you, and that is not what I wish to talk about."_

_"Oh." She let out a brief sigh of relief. Both Kaldur's words and Conner's reassuring smile soothing her. "That...That's good, then."_

_"Then what_ is _it you want to talk about?" Artemis asked, mimicking Superboy's earlier stance in that she crossed her arms and took on a somewhat challenging tone._

_"I want to talk about how we would react should one or more of our teammates actually perish in battle."_

_Everyone was silent again, but Wally was soon speaking up once more. "Why do we need to talk about _that?_ We all know that'll never happen. We've faced impossible odds and come out of them before."_

_"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we'll always be so lucky," Conner pointed out, frowning. "Aqualad has a point."_

_"Since I was the first to...die...in the simulation," Artemis started, her voice uncharacteristically uncertain, "I think I should say that I can never imagine what you all went through, but I do know that if anyone can cope with the loss of friends, it's this team."_

_M'gann sniffed once, blinking back tears. "That doesn't mean it isn't...wouldn't be...hard, though."_

_"The death of loved ones is not supposed to be easy," Kaldur assured, nodding slowly. "Neither is dealing with that loss. But if we cannot bring ourselves to move on, this team will fall apart."_

_"Why do we have to talk like this?" Wally asked, his voice almost desperate. "Come on, guys, it's us! None of us are going anywhere!"_

_"You talk like we're invincible, Wally."_

_Everyone turned to the Boy Wonder, who had been silent for several long minutes. Some form of surprise was on each of their faces. It was almost as if without his witty remarks and his cackle of a laugh, they had forgotten Robin was there._

_"But we're not," Robin went on, shaking his head as he finally looked up. "Ignoring the inevitable is foolish. One of these days, someone on this team is going to die. And we need to be ready for that."  
_

_"Easy for you to say," Wally snapped, his eyes taking on an unusual amount of defiance when talking to his best friend. "Your mentor is like, the king of being emotionless. Heck, you were the only one who didn't react to the training exercise. Do you even feel _anything?!_"_

_"Wally!" M'gann gasped, her brown eyes wide, while Artemis punched Wally once more and Conner glared at him. Even Kaldur looked disapproving._

_Robin ignored the hurt he was feeling at Wally's remarks as he shook his head again. "It's okay, guys. Wally's just dealing with his own emotions. And he has a point."_

_While the rest of the team looked like they wanted to say something reassuring to Robin, the Boy Wonder merely continued, "Look, this talk has been great. Really. Totally whelming. But I think we should get moving before Batman comes back and has our heads for ignoring the mission for this long."_

And that's where Robin was now, perched on top of the old, worn down apartment building, peering through his binoculars at the manhole cover as dusk settled in. Wally's words had definitely hurt, especially since Robin knew his best friend was fully aware of the Boy Wonder's own problems with watching loved ones die. But he supposed he couldn't really blame the speedster. Wally had never been good with losing those close to him. Just look at how he had reacted to Artemis's 'death.'

Still, though, Robin was forced to push away the painful memories of earlier that day and focus on the task at hand as Aqualad's voice sounded in his head, courtesy of Miss Martian's telepathic link.

_"Superboy, Miss Martian, and I have not seen any signs of Killer Croc or Bane from our position at a nearby entrance to the sewers."_

_Neither have Kid Flash, Artemis, or I. And _we're _at the main manhole. Wait! _Robin adjusted his binoculars as two figures crept out of the shadows cast by a nearby building. And the two figures sure were large. In fact, one of them seemed to have a tail. _I see them! They're making their way to the sewers. And they seem to have bags filled with unknown objects slung over their shoulders!_

_"All of this trouble and these two are just doing a simple burglary job?" _Wally demanded. Even his thoughts sounded angry. _"Perfect."_

_I've fought Croc and Bane before, _Robin continued, ignoring Kid Flash. _I think I should follow them in, using my stealth skills to figure out exactly what they're up to._

This time it was M'gann's voice that echoed in his mind. _"I don't know Robin. Isn't it too danger-"_

Kaldur interrupted with instructions of his own. _"Do not engage. Call us in as soon as you have more information."_

_You got it._ Robin pocketed his binoculars and flipped off the apartment, landing gracefully on his feet and running over to the now open manhole cover, carefully peeking in to make sure it was clear before dropping inside. He landed with a delicate splash, wrinkling his nose at the smell but making no audible sound of displeasure.

_"What's it look like down there?" _Superboy asked, sounding as if he wanted desperately to get his hands dirty if Robin would only give the word.

_It looks like a stinking sewer, _Robin answered with a mental sigh. _Now, would you guys mind cutting the chatter so I can concentrate?_

_"Wow, you want us to stop talking? Since when have you cared about that?"_

Robin ignored Kid Flash's indignant tone once again, though he may have smiled to himself when Wally let out an _"Ow!" _Robin assumed Artemis had slapped him again.

But Robin put his mind back to the task at hand as he slowly crept through the sewers, making sure to take light steps in order to keep the sound of rippling water to a minimum. As he drew closer to the sounds up ahead, he was able to make out voices.

"I have to admit your idea to take hostages and force them to give us access to their bank accounts and safety deposit boxes was a stroke of genius."

"Thank ya, kindly! How are y'all feelin', by the way, now that yer broke?"

Robin didn't like the sound of that, and he most certainly didn't like the look of it, either, as he peered around the corner to spy on the situation. Bane and Killer Croc had found a larger, more hollowed out space of the sewers. They'd taken advantage of the rare dry spot to tie up several hostages. There were half a dozen civilians sitting against the wall, each of them wrapped in ropes and struggling against the gags in their mouths. Robin couldn't tell what they were saying, but he could guess by the terrified looks in their eyes that it was a plea for help.

_Guys? _Robin spoke over the telepathic link, putting a touch of urgency in his mental tone. _I think now would be a good time to-_

He broke off when his attention was drawn away by Killer Croc grabbing one of the hostages by the neck, hauling her up to where her face was even with his and her feet dangled helplessly. She couldn't have been out of her twenties yet, and panicked tears streamed down her cheeks. She was the only one without a gag in her mouth.

"Except this li'l girlie doesn't seem to be cooperatin' all too nicely. What do ya say, darlin'? Ya gonna give us that number or am Ah gonna have ta force it out of ya?"

Robin knew he was supposed to wait for his team, but he also knew that the young woman would get hurt or worse if he didn't intervene right this second. So, he pulled out a birdarang and hurled it at Killer Croc, causing the villain to let out a growl that came from deep in his throat before whirling around.

"Howdy, Greenie! Long time no see! How's about ya put down the kind lady and get yer butt over here to pick on someone yer own size?"

Croc obviously didn't appreciate the taunt _or _the mocking accent. He instantly began making his way toward the Boy Wonder, thankfully putting down the girl as he did so. That was good. Now Robin could fight the bad guys without worrying about hurting her.

"What do ya say, Bane? Ah take one side and ya take the other?"

Bane grinned, punching his right fist into his left palm. "Don't mind if I do."

Instead of showing that he was intimidated, Robin smiled and whipped his staff out of his utility belt, twirling it around his fingertips. "Take your best shot, uglies."

Both of his very large foes charged at him, but Robin merely leaped over them, smacking each one on the head before folding into a double somersault. He landed with a splash on his feet behind them, relishing their pained and annoyed grunts.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked, putting his staff back up and whipping out two more birdarangs, throwing them at his opponents. They disappeared behind two clouds of smoke when the birdarangs exploded. "Wow. Wait till I tell Batman about how you guys are slacking in the butt kicking department."

Killer Croc let out a ferocious growl as he appeared through the smoke, charging at the Boy Wonder with all his scaly green mass. Robin dodged to the side, turning around to throw another birdarang at Croc's back. This time, the weapon lodged itself in his scales and exploded with enough force to send the villain flying into the wall. The hostages let out muffled cheers and Robin saluted in their direction.

The cheering only made Croc madder as he extracted himself from the crumbling wall and ran at Robin again. The Boy Wonder just grinned and started off at his own run _toward _Croc. If this surprised the bad guy, he didn't let it show. He reached for Robin with his sharp claws, but the Boy Wonder winked and slid underneath Croc's legs. As he was sliding, he reached up to grab Croc's tail, planning to use it to swing up onto the villain's back. But just as he moved to do so, a large hand grabbed his ankle, pulling him up into the air to hang upside down, his cape trailing down into the water beneath him.

"Hey!" Robin protested, swinging wildly while trying to land a solid punch on the person holding him. "Not cool, Bane. How would you like it if Superman picked you up like this?"

"Hm. I hate to break it to you, but Superman isn't here."

"But Super_boy _is. Will that do?"

Bane frowned at this new information, and his frown turned into a glare as voices sounded from the tunnel connected to the room they were in. "Put the Boy Wonder down!"

Bane turned to find an arrow pointing in his direction, courtesy of Artemis. Kid Flash stood next to her, his hair mussed up from the run he had engaged in to get there.

"Funny. I don't see Superboy around, either."

"Oh, believe me." Robin grinned. "He's on his way."

"Too bad he won't be here in time to save you."

Robin's eyes widened slightly as the statement sunk in.

A lot happened at once, then. Artemis let her arrow fly and it struck Bane in the shoulder. It had been intended to hit him in the wrist connected to the hand that was grasping Robin, but Bane had turned a second before the arrow was shot. He had turned to throw Robin into the nearest wall. Bane stumbled when the arrow hit him, but he had still managed to release Robin before he was struck.

Robin attempted to fire his grappling hook upward in an effort to avoid collision with the wall, but Bane's super strength proved to be too much when it came to speed. Even with his fast reflexes, Robin didn't have enough time to release the grappling hook.

The last thing he heard before slamming into the wall was Wally and Artemis screaming, "No!"

Actually, wait, that wasn't entirely accurate. The last thing he heard was a sickening crack that resulted in a brief moment of fiery pain in his head before he slid to the ground and into the shallow water, dead to the world.


	10. Lost, Pt 2

**Sorry for the cliffhanger. And sorry that I'm giving you _another _one at the end of this chapter, but this plot line is turning out to be longer than I originally thought. I hope to finish it up in Part 3. But until then, enjoy Part 2! You know, either enjoy it, or get hit by feels, or maybe even both? (I hope for both.) Whichever you prefer.**

**Also, reviews are always appreciated, as are favorites and follows! Oh, and as a bonus, y'all get a little Wally POV.**

**(I'm about to shut up, I swear, but I just wanted to point out that I do not own any of the characters you're reading about. The creators of Young Justice do. Except for maybe the random civilians, but I don't think those count.)**

* * *

No no no no no no no no no.

This wasn't happening. This _couldn't _be happening. Robin was fine. That crack hadn't come from the way his best friend's head had slammed into the wall. Robin would get up any second now and leap back into the fight with a witty comment.

But as Wally watched Robin slide into the water and remain completely motionless, the fact that the Boy Wonder was fine seemed more disputable than not.

"Robin!" Artemis cried from her position next to Kid Flash. She notched another arrow, a glare turning her eyes dark and stormy. "You're going to pay for that."

Wally didn't hear Bane's response as he was too busy darting over to his downed teammate. Only, on his way there, he halted in his tracks and cringed when M'gann's voice sounded loudly in his mind.

_"No!" _she shrieked and then was suddenly silent.

Conner's worried _"M'gann!" _was faded, as if the telepathic link was compromised. Had Miss Martian fainted or something? Wally sure hoped not. She was their primary source of communication. But he pushed that thought aside long enough to close the last bit of space between him and Robin, gently propping the Boy Wonder up to make sure his head stayed above the sewage.

_"I-I'm okay," _M'gann said, her voice shaky but not at all faded since she'd restrengthened the link. _"But Robin. He's-"_

_"Is he alive?"_ Kaldur demanded in a concerned voice that caused Wally to quickly feel for a pulse.

_Yeah, he's breathing. Barely._

_"No, I...Something's wrong,"_ M'gann said. _"His mind. It's-"_

_"Can we worry about Robin's mind later?"_ Artemis asked, sounding somewhat apologetic but also determined as she let an arrow fly at Killer Croc, who had regained his footing. _"Kid and I could really use some help down here."_

_"Superboy and I are nearly there."_

_"Stay here," _Wally heard Conner say to M'gann. She put up no protest. Wally figured she was probably too shaken up to get into the fight. He kind of wondered if _he _was too shaken up to get into the fight, but he quickly snapped out of it when Artemis barely avoided a swing from Croc's tail.

Wally was about to assist her when Kaldur and Conner burst in. Conner beat Wally to knocking Croc away from Artemis, but Wally didn't really mind. For once, he slowed down long enough to ask, _What's the plan? We need to get Rob out of here!_

_"Artemis, Kid, you two take Bane,"_ Kaldur ordered, his tone impossibly calm considering what was going on. _"Superboy and I will handle Killer Croc. We will _all_ protect Robin."_

Without another word, the four teammates leaped into action. Superboy ducked to avoid a swipe from Croc's tail, acting as a distraction as Aqualad summoned the water at their feet and threw it in the form of a miniature tidal wave. The force of the water sent Croc hurtling backwards into an adjoining tunnel.

Meanwhile, Kid Flash ran circles around Bane in his own act of distraction while Artemis readied another arrow. When Bane's back was turned, she let it fly at the tube jutting from his neck. It sliced the material in half, effectively putting Bane's Venom out of commission. Now they just had to deal with a physically fit man, but at least he wasn't inhumanly strong anymore.

Back at Superboy and Aqualad's side of the room, Killer Croc had managed to use his powerful swimming ability to fight against the flow of water. The villain broke free from the tidal wave, smacking into Aqualad and causing them both to go tumbling a few yards. Aqualad gritted his teeth and pushed against Croc, barely stopping the creature from biting his face off. Though, the heroes arms were shaking from the effort it took to keep Killer Croc at arm's length. Fortunately, Superboy stepped in, grabbing Croc's tail and using his super strength to twirl the villain above his head like a lasso. Croc groaned at the irony before he began to let out grunts of pain as Superboy slammed him into the ground again and again, swinging him by the tail all the while.

At the other side of the room, Kid Flash let out a brief moan of pain as he rolled through the water, courtesy of a punch from Bane. He rolled to a halt in front of Robin, taking in the sight of his too pale, too still friend. The anger at Bane for what the villain had done to his friend sent fresh adrenaline surging through Wally.

"Hang in there, Rob," he muttered, pushing himself to his feet and whirling back around to face Bane. "This jerk will never hurt you again if I have anything to say about it."

Bane smiled in response, as if he found the whole thing comically cute, before charging at Kid Flash. Wally was about to dodge out of the way when Bane's strides slowed.

"No!" the villain yelled in protest, glancing down at the ice that had suddenly surrounded his lower body, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"Never turn your back on your opponent," Artemis said smugly, proud of the work her ice arrow had done.

Kid Flash pumped his fist in triumph. "All right! Did you learn that from Black Canary?"

Artemis shrugged. "Something like that."

Superboy and Aqualad approached their fellow teammates, leaving an unconscious Killer Croc and several Croc-sized dents in the ground in their wake. Conner surveyed the work Artemis and Kid Flash had done with Bane, nodding his head slowly. "Not bad. But you forgot something."

He reeled back and landed a solid super strength punch right in Bane's face. The ice broke as the villain flew backwards from the force, slamming into a far away wall and sliding into the water. He didn't get up after that.

Conner dusted his hands off on his jeans. "That's better."

Normally, this was the point where the team started cheering and congratulating each other. But this time, the worried silence was thick enough to feel. Wally and Kaldur hurried over to Robin, who had yet to move. Conner retreated down a nearby tunnel to retrieve M'gann, and Artemis approached the hostages, setting each of them free.

"Oh, thank you!" the young woman who Robin had saved breathed gratefully, rubbing her arms to relieve the pain from the rope burns. "I..." She trailed off, casting a concerned glance over at Robin. "I hope he'll be okay. When he wakes up, can you tell him how grateful I am?"

"Sure," Artemis said shortly, her mind more focused on their downed teammate than on the girl. "You guys need to get out of here. Go down that tunnel and take the first right. You'll soon find a manhole you can crawl out of."

The civilians all nodded their thanks and quickly made their exits, all of them more focused on getting out than on the worried tension in the air. The young woman had been the only one to say anything, and even she was leaving now. Though, that was probably for the best.

Wally barely noticed any of this. He even jumped slightly when Artemis came over and laid a hand on his shoulder, asking, "How is he?"

"I don't know." Wally shook his head, glancing briefly over at Kaldur, who had stepped aside to contact Red Tornado. "It's...I think it's bad, Artemis."

"It _is _bad," M'gann said aloud as Conner helped her over to the others. She was mostly walking on her own, but she still seemed a bit greener than usual. Wally figured Robin's mental agony had hurt her pretty bad. "His mind. It's..."

"Red Tornado is sending Batman and Superman to help clean up here," Kaldur informed the others, accidentally interrupting M'gann. When he became aware of his mistake, he said, "My apologies, Miss Martian. Please, continue."

"M-Maybe I should wait until Batman and Superman get here," M'gann said, biting her lip uncertainly.

"No way!" Wally cried indignantly, his worry for Robin causing some anger to flare up again. "I want to know what's wrong with Rob _now._"

Artemis didn't even punch him for his rudeness, but he assumed that was because she was as desperate to help Robin as he was.

M'gann nodded. "Right. Robin's mind is...Well...There's something wrong with it."

"Wrong?" Conner prodded gently, encouraging her to continue. For once, he didn't even seem to care that he would have to see Superman.

"I can't explain it. But it's empty. Cracked. I think..." She glanced down at Robin, biting her lip harder. "I don't think he's waking up any time soon."

* * *

Batman was with Red Tornado in the Mt. Justice Cave when Aqualad called in. Even before Kaldur started talking, he knew something was wrong. The team rarely called in League help. Batman didn't show any outward emotion, but on the inside, he couldn't help but feel a bit concerned.

_"Red Tornado, are you there? This is Aqualad."_

"Go on, Aqualad," Red Tornado answered. Batman was almost jealous of the android's one-note tone of voice. He himself tried very hard to keep his tone always gruff and even.

_"I am requesting League assistance. We have wrapped things up here with Killer Croc and Bane and require help moving them to a secure location."_

Red Tornado nodded once, his mechanical body whirring as he did so. "This is good news. I can send Superman to help with the clean up."

_"There is another thing. I need you to prepare the medical wing. Robin is down."_

The final three words sent a chill down Batman's spine, but he showed no signs of the worry flowing through him. Robin was _never _down. He occasionally blacked out for a few minutes, but he always got back up afterwards. If Aqualad was reporting Robin's status _and _asking for medical attention...Well, that couldn't be good.

Red Tornado turned his head to look at Batman. "Understood. I will send Batman as well."

Batman nodded once to show he understood and quickly whirled on his heel, not wasting any time in getting to the team's, and Robin's location. He mentally encouraged Robin as he did so, even though he knew his apprentice couldn't hear him.

_Hang in there, Dick. I'm coming._

* * *

Batman gracefully dropped into the sewers, barely making a splash as he did so. He stepped to the side as Superman brushed past him, easily pulling an unconscious Killer Croc behind him.

"You better get in there, Bruce," Superman said quietly. "It doesn't look good."

Batman knew at that moment just how terrible things had to be. How did he know? For starters, Superman had used his alter ego's name. Plus, if Superman was worried, then something had to be horribly wrong.

And he was right. Upon ducking into the open space, Batman took in the scene, his jaw clenching at the sight of the team all crouched around Robin, some form of worry on each of their faces. As he neared them, he could easily see the problem. Robin was deathly pale and his chest barely moved. Not to mention there was a dark patch of blood on the wall behind him where his head was resting.

"What happened here?" he asked lowly, for once not finding any amusement in the way the kids jumped at his silent approach. He wanted to immediately scoop Robin up and get him out of there, but he didn't want to move the Boy Wonder until he knew the extent of his injuries.

"BanegotaholdofRobinandhethrewhimintothewallandRobinwasn'tfastenoughtosavehimselfandhehithisheadreallyhardandMissMartiansaysthat-"

"Wally!" Artemis smacked his back and he was forced to suck in a breath. "Slow down and breathe before you pass out."

Wally nodded, taking several deep breaths. In his silence, Kaldur took the opportunity to explain. _Slowly. _"Robin was forced to encounter Killer Croc and Bane without backup."

Batman's shoulders stiffened. He almost wanted to scold his unconscious protégé, but that obviously wasn't an option. Besides, maybe Robin had had a perfectly good reason to rush ahead without his team.

"I cannot blame him for his actions, even though he was disobeying a direct order. If he had not have intervened when he did, a young woman would likely have gotten hurt."

So, Robin _had _had a good reason to go in without backup. Batman almost wished he hadn't taught his apprentice to be so heroic. Maybe none of this would have happened. But, of course, Batman couldn't go about thinking like that. He would have done the same thing in Robin's position.

"What does Miss Martian say?" he asked Kid Flash as he gently pushed aside the speedster and Artemis so that he could kneel next to Robin in order to get a better look at his condition.

Wally blinked once, as if he was surprised that Batman had understood any of his nearly unintelligible rambling. "Um...Miss Martian says that there's something wrong with his brain."

That did it. If Robin's brain had taken any damage, leaving him here for much longer without medical attention was way more dangerous than moving him. Batman quickly (but carefully) picked Robin up and started toward the exit. "Miss Martian. Explain."

"Right. Okay," M'gann said, her voice both halting and nervous. "I couldn't read anything in his mind. It's almost as if his mind is...broken."

"Define broken," Batman ordered, his voice even harsher than usual as he held Robin close to him and accepted Superman's hand up, allowing himself to be pulled above ground. He didn't admit it, but he was glad that the Man of Steel had stuck around. Superman could get Robin to Mt. Justice much faster than he could.

"Take him," he said curtly, gently passing Robin over to Superman. "Get him to Mt. Justice. He needs help. _Now._"

Superman didn't argue as he easily cradled the Boy Wonder in his arms and took off like a rocket. Batman briefly noticed how Conner didn't even seem to care about Superman's appearance. That _definitely _meant the whole situation was dire.

"Um...Mr. Batman, sir?" M'gann questioned hesitantly. "Did you still want me to explain more?"

"Yes," Batman said shortly, wanting desperately to know what was wrong with Robin. Although, he still kept up his calm, cold demeanor. But it sure was getting harder to do so.

"Usually when someone is unconscious, all I can sense is blackness," M'gann elaborated. She seemed shaken, but Conner's hold on her hand seemed to help. "But with Robin...Well, it was dark, but it was also broken. It was like his mind was shattered."

"You're saying his brainwaves were irregular?" Wally broke in, always the scientific one.

"Something like that, I guess. All I know is that something was obviously wrong with his mind. I..." She bit her lip, and Batman absently noted how that spot was already redder than it should have been, as if she had bitten that spot earlier. "I don't think he's going to wake up."

"But he will wake up," Artemis said. Batman suspected her voice held more confidence than she was feeling. "He's just in a deeper state of unconsciousness than usual, right?"

When Miss Martian shrugged nervously in reply, Batman's heart sank farther than it already had. M'gann couldn't seem to put Robin's mental state into words, but Batman could guess what the problem was. If he had to bet, he would say that Robin _was _in a deeper state of unconsciousness, as Artemis had said. But Batman had a feeling that this 'unconsciousness' wasn't exactly that. No, he suspected that Miss Martian was right. He suspected that Robin wasn't going to wake up any time soon, and the thought made Batman all the colder on the inside.

His Little Bird was lost in a place where his Guardian Bat couldn't find him.


	11. Lost, Pt 3

It had been two weeks since that fateful fight in the sewers and Robin still hadn't woken up. Red Tornado (and the medical equipment in the Mt. Justice med-bay) had confirmed the team's fears. Robin was trapped in a coma for an indeterminable amount of time.

The team still went on missions, but their hearts weren't really in it anymore. Even Batman seemed colder and more closed off than usual as he assigned said missions. Fighting the bad guys just wasn't the same without Robin's talent and wit.

The day after the two week mark of being Robinless, the team gathered in the kitchen. Each of them had pulled up a stool to the kitchen island and were sitting around it, none of them making a sound. There were untouched snacks on the counter (and that was a major feat).

Conner and M'gann silently clutched the other's hand underneath the counter top. Kaldur sat with his arms crossed, resting them on the cool metal surface in front of him. Artemis absently fiddled with her arrows, though she didn't seem to be paying much attention to them.

And Wally...Well, Wally dejectedly traced invisible circles on the metal with one finger. He hadn't been doing that for long when he suddenly snapped, slamming his palms down on the island counter, causing each and every team member to jump (even Kaldur blinked in surprise).

"This isn't fair! Rob's hurt and we're going about our lives like he never even existed!"

Kaldur frowned, being the first to recover from Wally's outburst. "You know that is not true, Kid. We honor Robin by continuing the mission. I believe he would have wanted that."

"Why are you talking about him in the past tense?" Wally demanded, his eyes widening slightly in panic. He startled everyone when he started laughing hysterically. "He's going to be fine! He's just asleep. Yeah, he's just asleep and he'll wake up any day now."

"Wally," M'gann said cautiously, reaching across the counter top to lay her hand over his.

He froze at the contact, and before M'gann could say anything more, he launched into an agonized speech. "You don't understand. He has to wake up! The last thing I said to him was super hateful because I was upset with him. I didn't understand how he could be so chill about the telepathic training exercise, but it was wrong of me to lash out, and now all I want to do is apologize. But now I may never get the chance because he might never wake up!"

The team was silent for a few moments before Artemis set her arrow down and turned to Wally, her expression softer than he had ever seen it. "He _will _wake up."

"How can you be sure?" Wally begged, his tone pleading.

Artemis hesitated for a second before carefully resting one hand on his shoulder. "Because this is Robin we're talking about. He's one of the strongest, bravest people I know. If anyone can snap out of a coma, it's him."

"He's probably fighting his way to consciousness as we speak," Conner offered, one side of his mouth quirking into a reassuring half smile. "You'll see. He'll be up before you know it."

"But it's been two weeks," Wally went on, his shoulders slumping. His teammates' words didn't seem to be helping. "He should have-"

He broke off when he glanced over at M'gann. Her gaze was focused on something behind him and her eyes were wide.

"What?" Wally asked, whirling around in his seat. "What's...Robin!"

Sure enough, as if he had heard them talking about him, Robin stood in the entrance to the kitchen, fully decked out in his Boy Wonder uniform.

Naturally, Wally leaped to his feet, a grin lighting his features, his expression the complete opposite of the one he had been wearing a few seconds before. "Rob, you're awake! This is great! We need to tell-"

But Robin's eyes narrowed and he reached for his utility belt, whipping out a couple birdarangs. Before the team could break free from their shock, he hurled his weapons at them. One birdarang exploded in between Wally and Artemis, sending them flying in opposite directions. The other did the same to Conner and Kaldur.

The only one to avoid the attack was M'gann, and that was because she quickly took flight and hovered above both the others and the smoke that concealed them. "Guys!" she cried, whirling to face Robin. "Robin, what's going on? Wait!"

She pressed her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes, prodding Robin's mind. A moment later, her eyes snapped open. "Robin," she said cautiously, landing a few feet in front of Robin. She took a few careful steps toward their recently awoken teammate. "Robin, listen to me. You aren't well. I can help you. Just let me have access to your mind and I can-"

Before she could take another step toward Robin, he threw a set of bolas at her, her torso becoming entangled in the cords. Before she could attempt to get into his mind, the cord began crackling with electricity. M'gann let out a scream and fell to the ground convulsing.

"M'gann!" Conner cried at the sound of her screaming. He began trying to find his way through the smoke, covering his mouth to try to avoid breathing it in.

"Hang on, guys!" Wally called, staggering to his feet and beginning to run circles around the cloud of smoke. In a few seconds, it had dispersed, allowing Wally to take in the scene. Kaldur had regained his footing and Conner was crouching next to M'gann, tearing the cord off of her, not seeming to notice the electricity.

And Robin? Robin was nowhere to be seen.

"Ugh, what was that?" Artemis asked, placing a hand to her head and accepting Wally's hand up.

Wally frowned, absently brushing a splinter from one of the stools off of her shoulder. "I don't know, but we need to find out. Megan, can you..."

He trailed off when the computerized voice sounded from the other room. _"Recognized: Robin, B01."_

"Crap," Wally muttered, wanting to punch something. This was just great. Robin had woken up, but attacked them? What was up with that? He was both worried and angry at the same time, though his worry was more prominent.

M'gann shook her head as Conner helped her to her feet. "I can't sense him now. He's out of my range."

"I believe now would be a good time to contact the League," Kaldur spoke up, brushing the dust from an exploded stool off of his arm. "Miss Martian, do you have any idea as to why Robin attacked us?"

"Yeah, I do." She nodded, her voice shaking slightly from the aftereffects of the electricity. "He doesn't remember us."

* * *

The boy (those other kids had called him Robin. He couldn't remember if that was his name, but he decided to go with it) stumbled out of the out of order telephone booth, bracing himself against the opposite wall of the alley he had appeared in. He had no idea what that weird teleportation thing was, or how he knew how to use it, but he was just glad to be out in the open so that he could clear his head.

What the heck was going on? He had woken up in some sort of medical bay, machines beeping at him and fluid pumping into his veins via several IVs. His head had felt foggy, as if he had been in a deep sleep. His instincts had told him to get up and find out where he was. His instincts had also somehow told him how to fight the group of strangers. How did he know how to fight like that anyway?

And those kids...They had seemed to know him. Did that mean he knew them as well? Why couldn't he remember anything?

Robin let out a slight moan, cradling his head in his hands and allowing a few moments of weakness before straightening and throwing his shoulders back. The first thing he needed to do was get out of this ridiculous costume and into some more inconspicuous clothes. (He was only wearing the outfit because it was better than a hospital gown, and it had been the only set of clothes in the room he'd woken up in.)

Robin ducked out of the alley and surveyed the street around him. It didn't take him long to spot an old retail store, and he immediately darted inside. He got some strange looks from the customers, but fortunately they didn't try to talk to him.

Ignoring their stares, he quickly picked out a set of blue jeans, a green t-shirt, and a black jacket. On his way to the cash register, he paused in front of a display of sunglasses. He didn't know what caused him to do it, but he quickly snatched up a pair of dark black shades that would hide his eyes perfectly.

"Is this all for you?" the cashier asked after Robin had made his way to the front of the store to check out.

Robin nodded and pulled a credit card out his belt. He paused before handing it over to the cashier. A brief memory of a dark-haired man telling him it was only for emergencies flashed in Robin's mind, but it was gone as fast as it had come on.

The cashier pointed to the keypad. "Scan there, pal," he said before he blurted, "Man, I can't believe the legendary crime fighter Robin is shopping at the store I happen to work at! Too bad Batman's not with you, but this is totally worth the long hours I decided to put in today."

"Uh huh," Robin said shortly, finishing his purchase and pocketing his card. He ignored the warm feeling that passed through him at the mention of this 'Batman.' "Do you have some scissors I could borrow? I kind of want to wear these clothes now."

"Oh, yeah, sure! Here you go."

Robin accepted the scissors with a grateful nod and ducked into a changing room. He examined the scissors for a moment. For some reason, he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment at the sight of them, but he didn't know why. He didn't know a lot of things.

He shook his head to clear it and cut off the tags, changing into the civilian clothes and heading back to the front of the store. He ignored the cashier's excited chatter as he returned the scissors and simply nodded his thanks and goodbye.

Robin took a deep breath as he stepped out of the store and started down the sidewalk. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do, but he knew he couldn't stay in one place. For some reason, he felt like that always ended badly. It was almost as if he was constantly in danger. Maybe that came from being a crime fighter if he really was one?

And what had been with the pleasant feeling he had felt at the mention of Batman? Did he know this man? At that, was he _close _to this man? Why else would he have liked the name 'Batman'?

Robin kicked a stray piece of rubble in frustration. All his memories were right there at the edge of his brain, but he couldn't quite reach them. He wanted to remember. He wanted to remember _so bad_.

_I need Bruce. _The thought flickered through his brain, causing Robin to halt in his tracks. He ignored the annoyed grunt from the man behind him, who had nearly careened into his back when he stopped.

_I need Bruce, _Robin repeated the thought slowly. The unfamiliar name was accompanied by a very familiar image of the same dark-haired man who had given him his credit card.

At least Robin had an objective now. He needed to find this 'Bruce', whoever he was. But Robin had a feeling the man would find him first. Something told him that this 'Bruce' was good at finding people.

* * *

When Batman got the call from Aqualad about Robin's awakening and subsequent attack, he immediately got on the move. Kaldur told him what Miss Martian had discovered. If Robin had amnesia, he needed to be found _now. _Although, when Aqualad explained about Robin's fighting skills, Batman had to wonder if his protégé could take care of himself, even with no memories.

Whatever the case, Batman wasn't going to leave Robin wandering around with no memory any longer than he had to. Fortunately, he had had a tracking device planted in Robin's costume a _long _time ago. It wasn't hard to determine that Robin was in Gotham City.

Batman breathed a sigh of relief to see that the glowing red dot on his GPS was moving slowly, as if he was taking a walk.. That meant Robin had to be okay. At least, he hoped Robin was okay.

As he drove his Batmobile toward his apprentice's location, Batman couldn't help but scold himself. He should have been there when Robin woke up, but after a week of no change, Batman had realized that he needed to get back to his duties. Now, he was regretting neglecting Robin. Maybe none of this would have happened if he had stayed with his protégé.

It didn't take long for Batman to find Robin (he had become an expert in that particular art several years ago) but, not wanting to startle the memory deprived boy, he parked his Batmobile a block away and slipped into the shadows, carefully observing before engaging.

Robin was in civilian clothes, but Batman guessed the bag he was carrying held his Robin gear. Batman was impressed that, even without his memories, Robin had managed to blend in with the civilian population. Not to mention the fact that, on the outside, he appeared to be very calm and collected.

Batman felt no small amount of pride at the image. He had taught Robin well.

_Very _well, in fact, because as Batman watched Robin from an alley across the street, the Boy Wonder halted in his tracks, snapping his head in Batman's direction. It was almost as if Robin had felt his mentor's presence. Either that, or he had sensed someone watching him.

_There you go, Dick_, Batman thought to himself, mentally beckoning Robin over. _Come here.  
_

As if Robin had heard Batman's thoughts, the Boy Wonder looked both ways before crossing the street and approaching the alley. Batman had slipped further back into the shadows at that point, deciding to wait to see what his protégé would do.

Robin stood there for a moment before (with reflexes quick as lightning) he reached into his bag and grabbed his utility belt, slinging it over his shoulder and retrieving a few birdarangs.

"Come out where I can see you!" he called into the darkness, his voice unwavering.

Batman didn't hesitate to step out into the fading light of the evening, holding his hands up in surrender. "I don't want to hurt you, Robin. I only want to help."

Robin froze at the sight of Batman, promptly dropping his birdarangs in shock (fortunately, they didn't explode upon impact with the ground). After a few seconds of silence, he hesitantly whispered, "Batman?"

"You remember?" Batman asked, hope threatening to creep into his tone. But he kept his usual gruff voice in place.

"I-I'm not...I don't know," Robin groaned, pressing his fingers against his temples as if he had a headache. "I don't remember anything. But I...I think..." His uncertain, quivering voice disappeared to be replaced with determination. "I need to find Bruce."

Relief flooded through Batman and (pausing to make sure no one was around) he pushed back his cowl, his lips curling into a small smile. "You already found him."

* * *

When Batman revealed his face, Robin's eyes widened and he took a step back. It was him! It was Bruce! He...He remembered Bruce. Bruce was important. He had taken him in when...when...

Robin calmed his breathing (he hadn't realized he'd begun to hyperventilate a bit), focusing on the broken memories. After a few moments, he took a deep breath and said, "Bruce. You...You took me in after my parents-"

Robin stopped there as the memory of his parents' death slammed into his head, sending a physical pain racing through his stomach. The memory was fresh again. He hadn't realized how nice it had been to forget that particular day.

"My parents..." he repeated in a whisper, feeling hot tears threatening to be released. He blinked them away and shook his head. "I know you."

As if Bruce heard something else in Robin's voice, he asked, "But?"

"But everything's still hazy. My memories of you are still...foggy. And those other kids..." Robin sighed, rubbing his temples.

Bruce took a step forward, concern and a longing to take Robin in his arms showing in his eyes (but Robin didn't remember Bruce enough to be comfortable with the thought of a _hug_, so he was glad that Batman didn't reach for him). "You have amnesia, Dick. But I know someone who can help you."

Dick. Yes, that name sounded right. It was almost as familiar to him as Robin was now.

But as Dick processed the rest of what Bruce had said, he frowned uncertainly, taking another step back. "Do I know this person?"

"You used to."

"Do you trust him?"

Bruce didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Dick paused for a few moments more before nodding slowly. "Okay. Take me to him."

* * *

A little while later, Batman returned to the Mt. Justice headquarters with Robin in tow, much to the delight of the team.

"Rob!" Wally exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his friend. "You're okay! Does this mean you remember?"

Robin took in the sight of his fellow teammates. He was silent for several long seconds before shaking his head. "No."

When they all sighed, he offered a smile. "But I'm going to."

"How?" Conner asked shortly, his voice demanding but hopeful.

"I am here to be of help in retrieving Robin's lost memories."

"Uncle J'onn!" M'gann cried in delight, flying into her uncle's arms. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here! I was prepared to help Robin, but I wasn't sure I was trained enough and-"

"M'gann," Artemis muttered, tapping her friend on the shoulder. "Why don't you let your uncle go so that he can get on with restoring Robin's memories?"

"Oh!" M'gann's green cheeks turned pink as she blushed. "Right. Sorry."

Manhunter merely chuckled and gently pushed his niece away from him before turning to Robin. "Are you ready?"

Robin pursed his lips nervously, but when Batman laid a hand on his shoulder, he felt some of the anxiety melt away. "As I'll ever be."

He remained still, even as J'onn placed his large hands on either side of Robin's head. Robin cringed slightly at the feeling of someone entering his mind, but the uncomfortable feeling was soon replaced with a...well..._over_whelming feeling. All of his memories suddenly came rushing in, flicking before his eyes as if he was watching his life flash before him (which he kind of was, actually).

After what felt like hours but was only a few minutes, Manhunter stepped back and Robin blinked several times in an attempt to dispel the weird feeling (it was almost as if he was floating on air).

Wally rushing up to him grounded him, however. "Well? Did it work?"

Robin looked at him for several agonizing seconds before grinning. "Hey, KF. You weren't worried about me, were you?"

As if the words were a form of invitation, all of his teammates rushed at him, encasing him in a group hug. All their voices ran over each other's, but Robin could understand enough to know that they were all relieved that he was back. Although, he did listen hard enough to pick out Wally's desperate apology.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he reassured his best friend, patting Wally's back. After everything he'd been through, he didn't see any reason to be mad at Kid Flash. Besides, he didn't really enjoy the sight of Wally beating himself up. "I know you were just being overly dramatic as always."

Robin grinned at Batman over Wally's shoulder as his best friend sob-laughed, unable to get any words out because of how relieved he was. Robin was rewarded with a smile from his mentor in return.

"Okay, that's enough," Batman's cool voice sent the team scrambling away from Robin. "We can't have you suffocating the kid so soon after getting him back."

The team all expressed different levels of surprise. Batman hadn't just...made a joke, had he?

The only one who didn't seem shocked was Robin, but the team's surprise only skyrocketed as the Boy Wonder launched himself at the Dark Knight, wrapping his arms around his mentor. And if it was possible for the team to be any more startled than they already were? Well, their level of shock escalated even further as Batman knelt in order to have an easier time embracing his sidekick.

None of them heard the whispered words between hero and sidekick, then (except for Conner, but he would forever pretend he hadn't heard anything. He didn't want to risk getting in trouble).

"I was so worried about you," Bruce whispered, his lips barely moving. "I thought I had lost you."

Dick paused for a second. Sometimes he forgot that Bruce was as afraid of losing him as he was afraid of losing Bruce. "Yeah, but I knew you'd find me," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

But the words only caused Bruce's hold on Dick to tighten in the slightest. "I love you, son. You know that?"

Dick smiled, tightening his own hold on Bruce. "I love you, too, Dad."

* * *

**Phew! So, that was the finale of the "Lost" series! I hope everyone enjoyed it because I sure had a blast writing it. And yes, I'm fully aware of the fact that I updated several times in the past few days, but I wanted to get it all written before inspiration left me. I'll be taking a break now, but who knows? Maybe I'll get another chapter up over the weekend.  
**

**Speaking of inspiration, I would love to hear from you readers. I could use either one-word prompts (because I'm sure you've noticed by now that all my chapters have one-word titles) or even a brief plot suggestion. I mean, I'm sure I could pull something out of my data banks of imagination, but I've always loved reader input. **

**Until then. *does two-fingered salute* *ninjas out***


	12. Horror

**So, the inspiration for this one-shot came from a prompt given to me by a Guest's review. If you're reading this, I just want to say that your review made me ridiculously happy and had me grinning at the screen like an idiot. I hope you like this chapter. :)**

**Actually, on that note, everyone's reviews make me feel great and I really appreciate the support. There would be no _Guardian Bat _without all my readers and reviewers. Y'all help keep me going. So, thank you. Stay asterous. ;)**

**(Oh, and the film they watch is some random plot thing I made up. I don't watch horror movies. XP)**

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because last time I let you watch a horror movie with your friends, you slept in my room for a week."

Dick crossed his arms and lifted his chin, looking his adoptive father in the eye. "That was when I was like, ten. I'm thirteen now."

Bruce arched one eyebrow, crossing his own arms and mirroring Dick's determined expression. "Your point?"

He got an eye roll for his inability to understand the situation. "Come on, Bruce! The entire team is going to be there. What is it going to look like when I have to tell them Batman wouldn't let me come?"

"It's going to look like Batman was watching out for you. Besides, you know none of your friends question the Dark Knight."

Bruce _thought _that put an end to the argument. After all, he figured his line of reasoning made complete sense. But that was before Dick turned those big sad blue eyes up at him. Bruce mentally cursed. Dick _knew _he couldn't resist that look.

"Fine."

Dick pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!"

"But you come home as soon as you're finished. Don't let your friends rope you into a marathon of any kind."

"Thanks, Bruce!"

Bruce sighed and shook his head as he watched his son scurry away to don his Robin costume. He knew he was going to regret this, but it was better than having Dick be mad at him for the next few days. Well, it was just barely better anyway.

* * *

"So!" Wally rubbed his hands together gleefully as he fell back onto the couch in front of the large TV screen in the Mt. Justice cave. "Who's ready to be scared out of their wits?"

Artemis rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him, yanking the popcorn bowl she was holding out of his reach. "Get your own."

Wally pouted but quickly recovered, turning a sly grin in M'gann's direction. "Hey, Megalicious, you wouldn't mind getting your favorite redhead some popcorn, would you?"

It was Robin's turn to roll his eyes as he plopped own on the couch on Wally's other side, elbowing his best friend in the ribs. "Shut up, KF. How can you be her favorite redhead when _she _has red hair?"

"Oh."

M'gann giggled at the boys' banter and shook her head, turning back to the kitchen. "That's okay. I don't mind making some more."

"See?" Wally turned his gaze from M'gann to focus on Robin just as the Boy Wonder finished reaching across Kid Flash to snag a handful of popcorn from Artemis. "Hey! How come you'll share with him but not me?"

Artemis shrugged, tossing a single piece of popped corn into her mouth. "He's cuter."

Wally gaped as Robin cackled. "Dude! Not funny!"

"I thought it was."

"Do you two ever stop talking?" Conner asked as he sat down at the far end of the couch, making sure there was enough room between him and Artemis for M'gann to sit.

Robin _might _have been offended had Conner's voice not held genuine curiosity. Then again, Robin probably wouldn't have been offended anyway. "Nope. Batman says it's part of my charm."

"He's never said that," Wally scoffed.

"Maybe not to you," Robin said, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.

Before Wally could retort, M'gann came back with a fresh bowl of popcorn, handing it to him before stooping in front of the TV and putting the movie into the DVD player.

"Shouldn't we wait for Aqualad?" Conner asked with a frown in M'gann's direction as she came back and sat down beside him, silently handing the remote off to Artemis.

"Aqualad couldn't make it," she answered as she casually leaned a little closer to Conner as if she thought no one would notice. (Okay, maybe no one did, but Robin had been trained to notice literally _everything._) "He's spending the evening in Atlantis."

"Maybe that's what he _wants _us to think," Wally pointed out with a slight smirk. "But I bet Kaldur is just too chicken to watch a horror movie with us."

"I bet he's less of a chicken than you are," Artemis quipped, lifting the remote and playing the movie.

"Hey! I'll have you remember that I'm the one who suggested we-"

"Shh!" Robin interjected, this time stealing a bite of Kid Flash's popcorn as he kept his eyes on the screen. "It's starting."

From that point on, everyone was silent as they kept their eyes glued to the TV. The setting of the movie was an old abandoned mansion. The six young adults staying there were tasked with surviving the night. It sounded like a piece of cake until one of them mentioned that they had heard the house was haunted. Things just went downhill from there.

The first death involved a lot of girlish screaming and a shower ghost. The girl ended up dying by slipping in the shower. (Robin was _not _afraid of showering after seeing all that blood leak out onto the ground. No way.)

"One down," Artemis piped up, startling everyone except for Wally. "Five to go."

"Happy Hunger Games!" Wally crowed, doing his best impression of Effie Trinket. He earned himself a shove from Robin for the quote.

The next few deaths weren't _too _bad. One person got stabbed with a knife by a sneaky zombie (and Robin was used to knives) and another suffocated by getting locked in a mummy's sarcophagus.

"This isn't even realistic," Robin scoffed, effectively hiding how shaken up he was (maybe he should've listened to Batman). "How did all these monsters end up in the same house? And what are the odds that these people are dumb enough to actually _stay _there?"

Wally opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Robin slapping a gloved hand over his mouth. "I swear, KF, if you say anything about the odds being in their favor..."

It wasn't until the fourth death occurred that Robin almost lost it. The scene involved a girl running up to the roof to escape a vampire. Everything was fine (or as fine as it could be) until the young woman ran out of places to go. She slowly backed away from the vampire, shaking her head, terror evident in her widened eyes. Unfortunately, as she continued to back away, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.

Robin yanked his cape up to hide his face as the girl fell off the roof. He cringed at the sound of her body hitting the ground, hoping his team didn't notice the way he had started trembling.

_Oh, God, not falling. Why did it have to be falling?_

By the end of the movie, everyone except Wally and Artemis had averted their eyes in some way or another. M'gann had buried her face in Conner's shoulder, while Conner focused his eyes on something besides the TV (that 'something' ended up being the top of M'gann's head).

When the end credits started to roll, Artemis leaned back in her seat, letting out a brief sigh. "Well, that was boring."

"Right?" Wally agreed, glancing over at his best friend. "Don't you agree, Rob?"

"Uh, I have to go," Robin stammered, removing his cape from his face and leaping up from the couch. "My dad insisted I head home after the movie was over."

Wally frowned. "Dude, your dad is strict. Remind me to avoid meeting him."

Normally, Robin would have smirked at the irony of the situation, but right now he was too shaken up. "Right, uh...right."

M'gann sat up, shooting a concerned look in the Boy Wonder's direction. "Are you okay?"

Robin avoided her worried eyes and the way he could feel Conner's gaze burning a hole in his back. He couldn't let his team realize how unsettled he was. How embarrassing would that be? "I'm fine. Just tired. It's late. I should be going."

He bolted out of the room before any more questions could be asked. But he _did _hear Wally's voice asking, "Was it something I said?" The question was accompanied with a smacking sound, presumably from Artemis.

* * *

Bruce had actually managed to move some of his paperwork to his bedroom, allowing himself to sit in his bed as he went through the many sheets of paper. (Alfred had insisted he take a break. When Bruce refused, they had reached a compromise. So, here he was.)

When Dick had come home and trudged past his open bedroom door, Bruce had glanced up and asked how the movie night had went. He'd received a noncommittal grunt in response. That noise could have meant one of two things. The movie had either been lame or scary. Bruce decided to convince himself it was the former. If it had been the latter, Dick probably would have come to him for comfort. So, 'lame' it was.

About an hour later, as the clock struck midnight, Bruce was proved wrong in his assumptions. Without looking up from his paperwork, he heard the soft padding of sock-covered feet and then felt the gentle movement of the empty mattress next to him, as if someone had climbed into the vacant side of the bed.

Bruce sighed and set his paperwork down on the bedside table to his right before turning to his unexpected visitor. "Dick, what did I tell you about..."

He trailed off when he took in the sight of his adoptive son. Dick had curled up to take up the least amount of space as he could. He had also pulled the sheets up to cover his head. Only a tuft of ebony hair poked out.

"What's wrong?" Bruce finished with a concerned frown. Something about that movie must have messed with his son's head. He _knew _he shouldn't have given his permission to attend the team activity.

"There was a scene about falling," Dick answered quietly, although the sheets muffled his voice enough to where Bruce hadn't quite understood what he said.

"Come again?" Bruce asked in a rare moment of confusion. "There was an appalling scene? What did you expect from a horror movie?"

"No!" Dick shot back, lowering the sheets enough to expose his face. The scared expression in his eyes made Bruce want to punch whatever had done this to his son. "There was a scene where one of the characters fell to her death."

It clicked right then. Dick had developed a fear of falling ever since his parents had plummeted to their own deaths. He didn't talk about it much; he hated looking weak. But Bruce knew. Heck, the kid used to have nightmares all the time about this very thing.

Dick mistook Bruce's thoughtful silence as upset silence instead. "You're not going to kick me out of your room, are you?" he asked, his voice trembling, making him sound years younger than he was.

"No, of course not," Bruce said with surprise, promptly moving to lay down next to his son. He only hesitated for a moment before pulling the kid into his arms.

Dick stiffened for a second, as if he was considering rejecting the contact. But it didn't take long for him to relax into the embrace, tucking his head under Bruce's chin.

"Sorry," Dick said uncertainly. "I-I didn't mean to bother you or-"

"Are you kidding?" Bruce interrupted, putting a cheerful note in his voice in an attempt to put his son at ease. It wasn't easy, but he thought he managed it pretty well. "I'd much rather spend time with you than do my paperwork."

"You're just saying that to make this less awkward."

"Maybe. Is it working?"

There was a sniff, a beat of silence, and then the tiniest whispered, "Yeah."

Bruce smiled slightly at that, choosing his next words carefully before continuing, "And you know that as long as I'm around, I'll always be there to catch you when you fall."

There was more silence, and it lasted for so long that Bruce began to wonder if Dick had drifted off. But finally, Dick spoke up in a voice so sleepy that Bruce figured the kid barely knew what he was saying. "_Vă mulțumesc, Tati._"

Bruce's smile grew soft at the words before he replied in a gentle murmur, "_O__ricând, __fiule_."

* * *

**For those of you who don't speak fluent Romanian ('cause I sure don't), Dick said, "Thank you, Daddy." To which Bruce replied, "Anytime, son." I sure hope Google is translating my words correctly. XD  
**


	13. Ninja

**This next one-shot is inspired by a prompt from NoLionsInTokyo and their suggestion of a montage of Robin's ninja moments. Well, this kind of turned more into ninja pranks, but I hope you enjoy. Thanks for your review!**

**Oh, and I don't own the song that Robin uses as part of one of his pranks. **

* * *

Robin loved using his ninja-like abilities to scare the bajeezies out of his teammates. (He had even turned the word 'ninja' into its own verb.) They never saw it coming, and that's what was so hilarious about it. He'd first discovered how talented he was at this when he decided to mess with Artemis. (Hey, she had it coming. She needed to learn to keep her guard up at all times. That was one of the first things Batman had taught him anyway.)

One Saturday morning (one of the rare Saturdays she chose to get up early to train), Artemis was in one of the many rooms in Mount Justice, engaging in targeting practice. Almost every target had an arrow sticking out from the bull's-eye. A few of them weren't quite there, but they were close enough to be satisfactory.

As Artemis was reaching back for another arrow, her hand grasped at air. "What the-" she started, quickly removing her quiver and inspecting the contents. Sure enough, it was completely empty. But how was that possible? She'd made sure to fill it up this morning! And she'd only used about six arrows so far.

Just as she was starting to worry, she heard a soft cackle reverberate from the rafters. She glared up at the ceiling, assuming a certain boy was hiding in the shadows up there.

"Robin!" she called with exasperation. "What did you do?"

Instead of an answer, she merely got silence. She was considering grabbing a ladder and heading up there to nail the Boy Wonder herself, but she was stopped by several arrows flying down from the rafters. She jumped at the suddenness of it, inwardly cursing at her sign of weakness. That was just what Robin wanted; to freak her out. The little-

Before she could complete the thought, she turned toward the arrows jutting out of a bare target and rolled her eyes at the sight. For the arrows spelled out the short, simple words: _Got you._

"Ha ha, very funny!" she said sarcastically. "How did you do that anyway? I didn't even feel you take my arrows or sneak up on me or-"

Artemis jumped again when Robin's voice sounded exactly to her right. She turned to face an upside down Boy Wonder who was hanging from his grappling hook. His smile was upside down as well, but she could tell it was smug.

The only answer he had for her was, "Ninja."

* * *

Next up on Robin's list was M'gann and Conner. Those two were easy targets. They were both so naive and gullible. He felt kind of bad taking advantage of that, but...Aw, who was he kidding? He didn't feel an ounce of guilt.

M'gann and Conner were currently 'fixing the bikes.' And by 'fixing the bikes', most people knew that meant 'making out by the bikes.' And really, who wouldn't want to use that as an opportunity to ninja? They should've known better than to go about their...business...in such a public area.

"You know, we should probably be heading upstairs," M'gann whispered after she had come up for air, though it was hard to concentrate while Conner was gently fingering a strand of her hair.

"I know," Conner said with a slight frown, but his features relaxed a moment later. "Just a few more minutes."

M'gann didn't bother to argue as she leaned in again to...to promptly leap away from Conner in surprise when music started blaring around them.

_"I, I love you like a love song, baby. I, I love you like a love song, baby. I, I love you like a love song, baby. And I keep hitting re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat."_

Conner knew of only one person who could know about him and M'gann _and _had the skills to hack the sound system. "Robin!"

When a voice sounded behind them, the two lovers jumped and whirled around to face a casual Boy Wonder leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Yes?"

"Where did you come from?" M'gann asked in shock. She should have sensed him in the room with her telepathic powers, distracted by Conner or not.

Robin's smirk widened into a grin as he said a single word, "Ninja."

* * *

Kaldur was going to be trickier. The Atlantian wasn't Batman or anything, but he was still pretty stoic and hard to startle. It wasn't _impossible, _but still. Yet Robin enjoyed a challenge, so he went for it.

He caught Kaldur in the showers. (And yes, he realized what that sounded like.) But Kaldur was sitting there fully clothed and sitting cross-legged on the tile, his eyes closed as he soaked in the feeling of the water running over his skin. It wasn't like being in Atlantis, but it was as close as Aqualad could come to it short of diving in the pool. And he didn't really want to do that. He wasn't a fan of chlorine.

Now, Kaldur rarely (if ever) let his guard down. But right now, while the Cave was quiet and he was enjoying the water, he allowed his guard to lower a bit. After all, it was very unlikely that anything would happen.

Oh, how wrong he was.

As he was sitting there, the shower head he was sitting underneath started groaning, presumably from the water pressure. But that sound likely meant it was about to burst.

Kaldur reluctantly opened his eyes and shot a skeptical look up at the shower head when it suddenly burst, sending torrents of water pouring down on him. In fact, the explosion of the shower head seemed to set off a chain reaction as every other shower started leaking large streams of water.

This wasn't the problem, though. The problem was Kaldur's worry over his possibly having broken one of the Cave's systems. He did not want to face the wrath of Batman. He may have even murmured a brief Atlantian curse under his breath.

"Having a little trouble there, Aqualad?"

Because of Kaldur's worry and the fact that he had let his guard down for once, he was startled by the voice. He turned to face the direction it had come from and found Robin standing in a far corner of the room. But that was impossible because in order for him to have gotten there, he would have had to pass Kaldur. And Kaldur hadn't heard a thing.

Another thing that was impossible was the fact that the Boy Wonder was standing underneath the single shower head that _hadn't _exploded.

Then again, maybe that _wasn't _so impossible. "How?" was all Aqualad could find himself capable of asking.

He got a smirk and a, "Ninja."

* * *

Finally, it was Wally's turn. This one was going to be _fun, _Robin knew. He put everything in place and retreated to the safety of the shadows. (In other words, he kept the kitchen lights off and perched on top of the refrigerator.)

Kid Flash zipped into the kitchen and was about to turn on the lights when he noticed that the living room's lights were already on. But he knew for a fact that no one could be in there. All the others were in some other room.

His curiosity getting the best of him, Wally left the kitchen alone (shocker) and darted into the living room. His eyes widened when he saw what was resting on the coffee table.

"No. Freaking. _Way,_" he breathed, crouching next to the table and staring at the object. "What is Batman's utility belt doing here?"

Wally glanced over his shoulder as if to make sure he wasn't being pranked and then glanced at the belt again. He bit his lip as he slowly and cautiously reached for the object.

"Just a test run," he reassured himself as he ditched the slowness and snatched up the utility belt. "There's no harm in a test run. I'll put it back in no time flat."

He placed it securely around his waist and put his hands on his hips, doing his best imitation of a bat-glare. "I'm Batman," he said in a gruff voice, the image ruined as soon as he let out an almost girlish giggle.

"Hey, I wonder what this button does," Wally wondered as he pressed a button on his left hip. Something launched out of a small compartment on the belt and his vision was suddenly filled with a neon pink color.

"Gross!" he complained, reaching up to wipe his eyes and glancing down at his fingertips. "Is this...paint? What is Batman doing with pink paint in his belt?"

In response, he heard a cackle echo from the kitchen and Wally's heart just about dropped to his toes. Dang it, Rob! He was _so _screwed.

"Kid Flash."

Wally yelped and whirled around to face a very _not _pleased Batman. "Heyyy, Bats!" he said, his voice almost cracking in his nervousness. "Um...fancy seeing you here!"

He only got silence as Batman's eyes flicked down to his utility belt and then back up to Kid Flash's face. If it was possible, the Dark Knight's eyes narrowed even farther.

"Oh! Is this yours?" Wally asked with an almost hysterical laugh as he whipped the belt off and handed it to Batman. "I-I had no idea! It was just laying there and I thought-"

"Debriefing room. _Now._"

Wally gulped and nodded, for once at a loss for words as he trudged back through the kitchen on his way to the debriefing room. He caught sight of Robin as he did so. He glared at the look in the Boy Wonder's eyes and the way he waggled his fingers in a wave that said, _"It was nice knowing you!"_

* * *

Robin had to clap his hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing as Wally came back from a thirty minute 'debriefing' with Batman. Wally was hugging himself, his green eyes wide as he muttered, "So...many...ways...to die. I didn't even know I had that body part."

"Man, what happened to you?" Robin asked, barely keeping a straight face.

"You know, I think Batman's threats are worse than Scarecrow's fear gas."

Robin cackled at that and Wally whirled to face him, snapping out of his shaken state long enough to ask, "Dude, how did you even manage to sneak his belt away?"

"Ninja."

"Robin."

Robin found himself cringing at the especially gruff tone in Batman's voice. He slowly turned to face his mentor. Batman was staring at him with a look that he usually reserved for bad guys. _That _couldn't be good.

"Yeah?"

"Batcave. _Now._"

Wally, having been on the other end of that voice just minutes ago, slapped a hand over his mouth as he gasped. "Dude, you're so busted!"

Robin sighed and followed Batman out. "Thanks, KF."

* * *

"What were you thinking, Dick?"

Robin found himself cringing double time as Batman (for neither he nor Bruce had removed their masks) yelled at him. Batman _rarely _yelled at him. He only did when Dick had done something especially bad. But this wasn't one of those times! Was it?

"It was just a prank," Robin answered with a frown, looking up at a very angry Batman whose eyes were narrowed in tiny white slits. "I was just having a little fun."

"Fun? We've talked about this. You _never _take my utility belt without permission. What if I had needed it? What if there had been an emergency?"

Robin sunk lower into the chair at the Batcomputer. He knew he was in trouble if he was getting to sit there. He rarely (if ever) got to sit in Bruce's chair. "Look, I'm sorry, but-"

Batman held up a gloved hand to silence him. "I'm not finished. I've made it abundantly clear that you aren't to mess with my gadgets without asking me first. Someone could have gotten hurt because of you. What if Gotham had needed Batman while you were in possession of my belt? What if lives had been lost because you wanted to play a _prank?_"

Robin felt tears building behind his eyes as Batman continued to scold him. He hadn't even considered the dangers that came from borrowing the utility belt. Now he was starting to feel utterly and truly sorry. "Bruce, I-"

"I mean, _really, _Dick," Bruce continued as if he hadn't heard him, beginning to pace and wave his arms around. Dick knew he was upset when he started to become more animated. "You even messed with the technology to put _paint_ in my belt! You're lucky you didn't ruin anything! What you did was stupid and petty and childish. I expect you'll never do this again?"

It wasn't really a question and Robin knew it, but he felt the tears continuing to build as Batman called him 'stupid' and 'petty.' Granted, Bruce had been referring to his actions, but that was almost the same as calling Dick those things.

"I'm sorry!" Robin snapped finally, causing Batman to halt in his tracks, his back turned to his ward. "Okay? There! Is that what you wanted? I'm _so _sorry! I didn't think about the consequences. I just wanted to have fun! God knows I need it! All I ever do is fight crime and get beat up. I need to take a break whenever I can, but I guess I can't even do that because as soon as I do something for my sake, you scold me! I'm not just Robin, you know. I'm also Dick Grayson. And Dick Grayson needs fun to keep himself from breaking. Because if I break I..." He paused, his voice cracking. He finished in a whisper, "If I break I don't know if I'll be able to put myself back together again."

There were several beats of silence before Batman pushed his cowl back and turned to face Robin with concern in his eyes. "Dick..."

"Save it," Robin muttered, removing his own mask. "You've made your point."

Without giving Bruce a chance to say another word, Dick shot to his feet and stormed toward the elevator that would take him out of the Batcave and into the Manor.

* * *

**So, this was a bit of a cliffhanger, huh? I'm planning on carrying the tension between Bruce and Dick into the next one-shot. It's not necessarily a two-parter, though I suppose you could see it like that if you want.  
**

**Anyway. Reviews are always appreciated! They help me know if I'm doing this right and if people are still enjoying this as much as I am. XD**

**Until next time. *ninjas out***


	14. Crush

**Oh. My. _Gosh. _Y'all gave me such encouraging reviews over the last few chapters! (Especially "Ninja.") Seriously, I'm beyond whelmed by my asterous readers. I'm going far enough to say that I'm _over_whelmed by you all. I can only begin to explain how grateful I am to you, but I hope this quick (it's been about twenty-four hours since the last one) update helps to convey how truly thankful I am.**

**This next chapter has a bit of inspiration taken from FiTeamFreeWill's prompt about Dick going to Bruce for advice about relationships. I doubt it will be anything like you expected, but I hope it's satisfactory. Who knows, maybe I'll go more in depth with your prompt in a future one-shot. ;)**

* * *

Dick hadn't talked to him in two days. Ever since Bruce had scolded him Saturday morning, the kid had been quiet. Now, the scene was early Monday morning. Bruce was in his office as usual, and Dick was getting ready to head off to school. Usually, his son would be grumbling and complaining about it being Monday, but so far, he had been silent. And Bruce would have been lying if he said he wasn't worried.

Yes, he understood why Dick was upset. No one liked to be yelled at. But Bruce knew he had done the right thing. Dick had deserved to be berated. Now, Bruce only had to make him see that.

But that could wait, for Bruce had to glance up from (you guessed it) his paperwork when the door to his office creaked open and a head of ebony hair poked its way inside.

"Dick? Is something wrong? I thought you were taking the bus."

"I am," Dick said quietly, uttering the first words Bruce had heard from him in days. "But I...need your help with something first."

"Of course," Bruce said, perhaps a bit too quickly. He gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

Dick sat down wordlessly, tugging at his tie and shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He was quiet for several long moments (fortunately, Bruce was patient) before speaking. "There's...this girl. Melissa. At my school. I-"

Bruce inwardly cringed, regretting what he was going to have to say. Dick was finally talking to him and he was going to have to shut the kid down. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to stop you there. We've discussed this in the past. You're too young and busy to-"

"I don't want to date her!" Dick interjected with an eye roll, his voice taking on the exasperated tone that Bruce knew and loved (sometimes). "You've made it clear that I can't date until I'm forty."

Bruce resisted a chuckle at the exaggeration as Dick continued, "But I at least want to get to know her, you know? Be her friend if possible."

Normally, Bruce might have scolded Dick about his lack of talking in full sentences, but he figured now wasn't the time. At this point, he was entirely too amused to ruin the moment. "So? Try talking to her. You can't really get to know a person without using that primary form of communication."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that. But she's like, super popular and I don't think she's even noticed me before."

"Hm," Bruce hummed thoughtfully, setting his pen down and leaning back in his chair.

Dick began chatting again before his guardian could get in another word. "I mean, you have woman hanging on you all the time. If anyone has any pointers, it's you, right?"

Bruce resisted the slight smirk threatening to curl his lips and instead cleared his throat. "I suppose you have a point."

"So, how do you do it?"

"I remind them how rich I am."

Dick let out a loud sigh and leaned back in his own chair, crossing his arms. "I don't have to remind anyone of that. Besides, Melissa's rich, too, so I don't think she's impressed. What else?"

"I act like a gentleman. I offer to carry their things and compliment them on their looks. You can never go wrong with that."

"What, so I just stroll right up to her and say, 'Hey, Melissa, we've never talked before, but your hair looks beautiful today. Want me to carry your textbooks?'"

"Sounds good to me."

Dick pursed his lips in thought before nodding slowly. "It _could _work. She seems to like more outspoken boys."

"There you go, then," Bruce said, sitting back up in his chair and picking up his pen, already beginning to refocus his attention on his work. "Good luck. I'll see you after school."

"You're going to be here?" Dick asked as he got to his feet, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Someone has to look after the house while Alfred's away at the Pennyworth Family Reunion."

Dick nodded, starting towards the door. He hesitated on his way out, glancing back over his shoulder. "Oh, and, Bruce? Thanks for the advice."

Bruce glanced up once more, sending a small smile Dick's way. "Anytime. Now, get going. You don't want to miss your bus."

Dick nodded again, offering his own smile. It was hesitant, but it was there. Then, he lifted his hand in a slight wave and jogged out the door.

* * *

Dick had been extremely hesitant to ask Bruce for help that morning. He was still pretty upset about Saturday. The thing was, though, he wasn't necessarily mad at _Bruce. _No, he was more mad at _himself._

But now wasn't really the time to think about that. Right now he needed to focus on approaching Melissa Hart without looking like a complete idiot.

He paused at his locker (how convenient that it was across the hall from Melissa's) and smoothed his hair down, hoping the gel he had used would stay in place. Taking a deep breath (and being grateful that the halls were virtually empty due to class almost starting), Dick walked up to the pretty blonde-haired girl.

"Hey," he greeted, casually leaning against the locker next to hers and watching her retrieve her books. "Need some help carrying those?"

Melissa hugged her books to her chest and slammed her locker door closed, turning to face Dick and flicking her forest green eyes up and down, taking in his appearance. She was quiet for so long that he was starting to worry he had something on his face or clothes.

"You're Richard Grayson, right?" she asked finally, her voice nonchalant.

"That would be me," he answered with a nod and a half smile. "But you can call me Dick. All my friends do."

"What makes you think I want to be your friend?"

The words were like a knife blow to the chest, sharp and cold. It took Dick completely off guard and he found himself standing up straight and taking a step back. "Uh...excuse me?"

"I _said,_" Melissa began, her nonchalance being replaced with a dryness that could rival a desert, "what makes you think I want to be your friend?"

Dick frowned. He didn't like the direction this conversation was going. "I'm not sure I understand."

She rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh that clearly said she thought he was an idiot. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

His eyes narrowed. "I can spell just fine."

"Cute," Melissa said with a tight-lipped smile. "Look, I don't want to be seen hanging out with Bruce Wayne's charity case, okay? It could ruin my family's reputation."

"I'm not..." Dick glared at the ground, forcing his voice to stay even when it almost cracked. "I'm not a charity case."

"Aren't you, though? We all know Wayne only took you in because he felt bad for you. Everyone here at Gotham Academy certainly thinks so," she explained as a couple of her guy friends from the football team came up behind her. Dick was starting to be less grateful that the halls were empty.

"Everyone, huh?" Dick asked, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. He had to come up with something to say before he broke down in front of Melissa and her crew. "Tell me, does everyone know your family doesn't have much of a reputation to protect after Bruce Wayne bought out their failing company last week?"

Melissa's green eyes darkened with hatred. "Why, you little-"

"Dick?" he quipped, allowing a familiar feeling smirk to take over his features.

That did it. Melissa signaled her jock thugs and Dick was soon experiencing pain all over and staring up at the ceiling. He rested a hand on his stomach and winced at the feeling it caused. His ribs were definitely bruised. He just hoped they weren't broken.

As if to insure he was down, one of the jocks landed one last solid kick in Dick's stomach, causing the boy to curl into himself and groan. Man, he _so _wished he was allowed to use his ninja abilities on these jerks.

"Hey!" a feminine voice called from down the hall. "Get away from him! Don't make me sic the principal on you!"

"Dang it, that's the Commissioner's daughter!" one of the boys muttered, promptly stopping in his torturing of Dick and jogging off down the hall. "No way am I gettin' in trouble with her."

Not surprisingly, the small group didn't argue and darted down the hall after their friend. Though, Melissa whispered, "I hope you learned your lesson, Grayson," before she left.

Dick then heard the sound of retreating footsteps as he moaned again. He needed to get up before Barbara had to help him. He couldn't deal with that kind of humiliation right now. He was already embarrassed enough as it was.

So, Dick pushed himself to his feet, letting out a few gasps of pain as he did so. Though, not all of that pain was coming from his ribs. Some of it was coming from Melissa's words. No matter how hard he tried, he would always be seen as the little orphan circus freak who didn't belong. He would always be seen as the kid whom Bruce Wayne had adopted out of pity.

"Dick! Are you okay?" Barbara asked, interrupting his thoughts, running up to him and looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine," he muttered, brushing off her worry.

Instead of pushing the subject, Barbara just nodded and let him lean against her as they headed to class. That was why Dick liked her. Not only was Babs one of his only friends at school, but she knew when to leave him alone.

Still, Dick glared at the ground again as he trudged toward class. This was exactly his point. He couldn't be a kid and have fun when he was Robin, and now he was being forced to eliminate childhood and fun when he was Dick Grayson as well. Sometimes he really _hated _his life.

* * *

Bruce had barely moved all day. He'd taken the opportunity to catch up on all his paperwork while he was staying at the Manor to keep an eye on things. That was why he was satisfied that he was practically finished with his work by the time Dick came home. Maybe he could challenge his son to a rematch for that game of one-on-one basketball.

But that was proved to be unlikely when Dick shuffled past Bruce's open office door. He was hunched over and one hand rested on his stomach.

"Dick," Bruce said cautiously but worriedly as he stepped out of his office and followed Dick down the hall. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," the boy muttered, refusing to turn around and face his father.

"You're hurt," Bruce said firmly, using his Batman voice to get Dick to halt in his tracks. "I think we need to talk about it."

"Fine! You want the truth?" Dick asked, whirling around to face Bruce with anger and frustration clouding his bright blue gaze. "The truth is, I hate being your son!"

Bruce's jaw clenched, but it was the only sign he showed to indicate that he was shocked. That was okay. Dick was just upset. He would be quiet and let the boy finish.

"I hate being Robin, too. Heck, I even hate being Dick Grayson! And it's all because of...because of _you_!"

Okay, that did it. Bruce crossed his arms and frowned in disapproval to hide the fact that he was a little hurt by his son's words. "If this is about Saturday, I'm sorry that I upset you. But I can't take back what I said. As your father, it's my responsibility to make sure you accept the consequences of your acti-"

"You're not my father!" Dick interrupted, his voice raising to a yell.

Bruce closed his mouth and stopped talking at the words, feeling his eyes widen slightly before he could stop them. The small amount of hurt that had started to surface turned into a large amount of agony. But before he could get another word in, Dick was talking again.

"You were _never _my father. My dad is _dead._" Tears were streaming down Dick's cheeks now, but the boy didn't even seem to notice. "My dad is dead and he's never coming back! Stop trying to pretend like you can replace him!"

"Dick, I-"

"If my dad were still alive, I would never have to deal with people calling me a charity case, or bullying me at school, or-"

It was Bruce's turn to interrupt. "Is that what happened?" he demanded, his tone becoming firm again. But he couldn't help it. If someone was hurting Dick... "Did that girl call you a charity case? Did someone hurt you? Because if you give me some names, I could-"

"Oh, shut _up_!" Dick snapped, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "You can't fix this, Bruce. Every time you try to fix my problems at school, you only make things worse! Just drop it, okay?"

"I'm not sure I like your tone, Richard," Bruce said, making it very clear that he was serious by using Dick's full name. "I know I don't always go about things the right way, but at least I'm trying to help. The least you could do is show me some respect."

That obviously wasn't the right thing to say, because Dick's blue eyes only became stormier as he grew even angrier. "How can I show you respect when I _hate you_!"

With those final screamed words, Dick darted into his room and shut the door behind him, slamming it so hard that the air near Bruce stirred. At this point, Bruce didn't even care about the 'no slamming doors' rule. He only cared about how Dick's words were making him feel: miserable and useless. He wasn't even mad at the boy.

All he could think about was how he had failed his Little Bird yet again.

* * *

**Okay, so I lied. The tension between Dick and Bruce will obviously extend over _three _chapters instead of just two.  
**

**I think I'm doing an okay job with Bruce because I feel like he honestly has as hard a time with this father/son thing as Dick does sometimes. I mean, he's never been a dad before and his own father died when he was pretty young. So, I don't think parenting would be something he would be spectacular at. Besides, I like that Bruce has his own real life struggles outside of being Batman. But maybe I'm being too bold in my assumptions. Let me know, would you? Please and thank you!**


	15. Falling

***goes over reviews for "Crush"* *flails* Y'all are just so amazing. I legit can't even describe my emotions right now, but I can try. Happiness! Bucket loads of happiness!**

**Anyway, there's a trigger warning in this chapter. And that would be suicidal thoughts. Be warned.**

* * *

Bruce had tried without success to get Dick to talk to him, but he drew the line at actually picking the lock to the boy's room to force the door open. He didn't want to push too hard. Yet he hadn't gotten anything out of Dick other than a, "Go away!"

Now, Bruce was down in the Batcave decked out as Batman (minus the cowl), practicing his moves on a training dummy. It was one of the only things that could distract him, and even that wasn't working since Dick's words were playing like a mantra in his mind.

_"I hate being your son!"_

Bruce landed a solid kick on the dummy's shoulder, causing it to spin around in a circle. It was heavy at the bottom, so knocking it over was next to impossible.

_"I hate being Robin!"_

Next came a series of jabs in the mannequin's gut, sending the thing sliding a few feet backwards.

_"I even hate being Dick Grayson because of you!"_

The dummy then experienced a roundhouse kick to the ribs.

_"You're not my father!"_

Bruce let out a raw sound of frustration and punched the dummy hard in the face, not even registering surprise when the thing fell over with a heavy thud. He sighed heavily and sat down hard in the Batcomputer's chair, dropping his head into his hands. As if on its own accord, his voice rasped out, "Call Alfred."

_"Is something wrong, Master Bruce?" _Alfred's voice echoed from the Batcomputer's speakers less than ten seconds later. _"Or should I be calling you Batman since you are calling from the Cave."_

"I failed him, Alfred."

_"Who?"_

"Dick. I failed him. He..." Bruce found his voice faltering and he had to pause before he could go on. "He hates me."

There were several beats of silence before Alfred answered calmly, _"I assure you, sir, Master Richard in no way hates you."_

"What makes you think that? You don't know what happened."

_"Enlighten me."_

Bruce hesitated for a moment, but he was soon spilling out the whole situation. "Now, tell me that Dick doesn't hate me."

_"As you wish. Master Richard doesn't hate you."_

"Alfred..."

_"It sounds to me like the boy is going through a rough time. Something happened to him at school to add to the feelings of inadequacy you gave him Saturday morning."_

"Inadequacy?" Bruce repeated, blinking once in surprise. "I never-"

_"Master Richard merely wants to be a normal boy when he can, sir. Whether you meant to or not, you helped to snuff out that desire. I doubt he would have snapped at you had the incident at school not happened, but there must be numerous situations in which Master Richard has felt...boxed in."_

"So, this is still my fault."

_"Not completely, Master Bruce. But in some ways, yes. I'm afraid so."_

Bruce sighed again and rubbed his brow to try and relieve an approaching headache. "I need to go apologize. I need to-"

He broke off when the Batcomputer beeped out a warning. That could only mean one thing; someone needed the Batman's help.

"Great," he muttered, getting to his feet and pulling on his cowl. He glanced at the security cameras, seeing that Dick was still in his room. He didn't want to bother the boy. He would just duck out and take care of the emergency before the boy even knew he was gone.

"I have to go," Batman said gruffly, turning to make his way to the Batmobile. "Thanks, Alfred."

_"Of course, Master Bruce. I wish you luck in more ways than one."_

* * *

Dick angrily wiped at his face in a futile attempt to stop the tears from coming. He hated crying, and here he was leaking enough water to feed all of Poison Ivy's plants. He was just so...so _mad. _So mad, in fact, that he found himself dialing his best friend just to have someone to rant to.

_"What's up, Rob? It's like, eleven o'clock at night. Mom has a curfew on my phone calls, you know."_

"I know, but I really needed to talk to you, KF," Dick blurted, knowing his voice was catching due to his tears, but not really caring.

There was a pause before Wally dropped all of his joking tone to ask with genuine concern, _"Hey, what's wrong? You sound like you're crying."_

The gentleness in his best friend's voice cracked right through whatever shell Dick had left to protect himself, and he found himself spilling the entire can of the proverbial beans to Wally. (Though, he made sure to substitute 'Bruce' for 'Batman.' Secret identity and all that.)

_"Wait, so when you were talking about your dad wanting you home after the movie the other night, you were actually referring to Batman? Yikes! Batman's your _dad?_ Don't tell him I called him strict, okay?"_

Dick didn't even have it in himself to laugh. He just said flatly, "Focus, KF."

_"Right. Sorry. Okay, can I ask you something real fast?"_

"Sure, I guess," he answered cautiously, not sure where this was going.

_"Are you drunk?"_

Dick shot up straight from his reclining position in his bed. "What!"

_"I'm kidding! But seriously, you sound kind of crazy. I've known you and Bats for ages, and I know for a fact that he always does what's best for you. I mean, he has a rough way of doing that sometimes, but he obviously cares about you. And that's quite a feat because I'm pretty sure Batman doesn't care about anyone."_

"But I...You're...He's..." Dick stammered. He was completely taken off guard. He hadn't expected Wally to counteract his ranting with _that._

_"Rob, listen to me. And I want you to answer this truthfully, okay? Are you _really _mad at Batman?"_

_Of course! _Dick wanted to answer. _Who else would I be mad at!_

But he didn't say that out loud. Instead, he remained dead silent, listening to Wally making noise on the other end of the phone (it almost sounded like KF was eating something).

_"Yeah, that's what I thought. Who are you mad at, Robin?"_

Dick sighed, tracing invisible circles on his bedspread. "Me," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm mad at myself."

_"Why?" _Wally's voice was unbelievably patient.

"Because I messed up! Because I mess _everything _up! Because I lashed out at Batman when he didn't deserve it! Well, not really anyway. And I was stupid enough to think that this girl at school would like me, and I-"

_"Hang on, Rob," _Wally interrupted, sounding apologetic. _"Sorry, but that's my mom giving me the evil eye. Look, this is great, but I'm not the one you should be explaining any of this to."_

Dick sighed again, moving to lay on his stomach. "You want me to apologize to Batman."

_"Doesn't that sound like a good idea to you, too?"_

"Yeah."

_"Okay, then. But I suggest you get some rest before you do. You know, to clear your head?"_

"Probably a good idea." Dick nodded, starting to feel a little better. His spirits were lifted just enough for him to joke, "You should be a therapist, KF."

_"Ha ha, very funny. Go to sleep."_

There was a click as Wally hung up and Dick set his phone aside on the table next to his bed. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he had calmed down enough to actually get a few decent breaths in. Now, he couldn't imagine seeking out Bruce to apologize. Not while he doubted he could stay on his feet.

So, without even bothering to change out of his clothes (though, he had discarded his Gotham Academy uniform for sweats and a t-shirt earlier that day), Dick curled up and nodded off, promising himself that he would find Bruce as soon as he woke up.

* * *

Only, when Dick woke up it was still dark outside, and he came back to the land of the living while screaming. He'd just had the worst nightmare. He had been forced to live out the moment where his parents fell to their deaths again. Only this time, the dream went even further.

Right after his parents had fallen, he had watched with wide eyes as Bruce fell as well.

If Dick had been in his right mind, he would have laughed it off. Bruce was the Batman! There was no way he would allow himself to die by falling! But the nightmare had been so real, and Dick realized he hadn't gotten a chance to apologize.

So, Dick untangled himself from his sheets and sprang to his feet, darting out of his room and running down the hall. His wide, desperate eyes flicked back and forth as he searched for Bruce. He tried everywhere. He checked Bruce's bedroom, his office, the kitchen, and even the Batcave, calling his guardian's name all the while. But Bruce was nowhere to be seen.

And to Dick's frightened, sleep deprived mind, that could only mean one thing. His dream had been real.

He fell to his knees next to the silent Batcomputer, hunching over and hugging his stomach, rocking back and forth as yet another barrage of tears began pouring down his face.

"I'm sorry. I don't hate you. I'm so sorry. I could never hate you. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Please come back. Please don't leave me. Please. I'm sorry."

Dick continued to whisper things along this line of thinking for several minutes before his tears suddenly stopped and his gaze became blank. He slowly got to his feet and took the elevator back up to the Manor. He then walked almost numbly up to the roof, shoving the roof access door open. He shuffled over to the edge, peering down at the ground several stories below. He shivered slightly as the cool night air rushed around him, but he made no move to go back inside.

It would be so easy. It would be so easy to just fall. He could join all the people he had lost, and it would be fitting to die in the same way his parents had. And when he thought of his parents, he found that Bruce fell into that category as well. And now...now that Bruce was seemingly gone, Dick would never get to tell him that. He could never get to tell him that he hadn't meant what he had said; that Bruce was just as good as the father that he had lost.

Tears pricked behind Dick's eyes once again as he continued to gaze at the ground. He wanted to do it, but...something stopped him. And that 'something' wasn't the thought of leaving behind his friends. That 'something' wasn't his decision to forgo the fall. No, that 'something' was actually the physical feeling of someone yanking him away from the edge of the roof.

"Dick!" The arms that had pulled him away held him close, encompassing him in warm black material. "What were you thinking? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Dick pulled away far enough to tilt his chin back and look up into the _very _worried face of the Batman. He watched as Batman pushed back his cowl to reveal Bruce's face, whose expression was even more concerned now that it was fully exposed.

"B-B-Bruce?" he asked, his teeth chattering and causing him to stammer. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around his guardian. "Bruce! You...You're alive!"

Bruce hugged him tightly, but his voice was confused as he said, "Of course I'm alive. I was just out tending to an emergency that required Batman. I was going to tell you, but I didn't expect to be out so long. Dick, what _happened_?"

"I...I talked to Wally a-about our fight and h-he helped me realize that...that I wasn't really m-mad at...at you. And I was going to...to apologize, but I...I was tired, so I got s-some sleep first. Only, I had a...a nightmare where my p-parents died, but then you...you died, too, and then I c-couldn't find you, so I thought that...that my dream was real. A-And then I thought it would be s-so much easier to...to just..."

Dick was unable to continue after that as he broke down into sobs. He was kind of surprised that he still had the ability to cry at this point, but he was so upset. Now that he realized that Bruce was alive and well, the full extent of what he had been about to do hit him like a ton of bricks. What _had _he been thinking? He'd never considered...well...suicide before. It almost had him thinking that Wally had a point about suggesting he was drunk. But that thought disappeared as soon as it flicked through his mind. He had a feeling he was just exhausted.

For Bruce's part, though, he miraculously understood Dick's stammered speech, and he held the boy all the tighter. "I'm so sorry," he said softly, methodically stroking Dick's unruly ebony hair. "I'm here now. Shh, it's okay."

Dick's sobs slowly quieted down as Bruce continued to comfort him, and that gave Bruce enough courage to ask, "What did you mean when you said you're not mad at me?"

Dick was about to answer when he shivered again and Bruce stepped back. "It can wait until we get back inside. Come on."

A few minutes and a cup of hot cocoa for Dick later, the pair sat at the kitchen island. Bruce had yet to remove his Batman gear, but he had detached his cape and put it around Dick's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Dick blurted as Bruce opened his mouth to say something. He had to get this out before he could let his guardian speak. "You were right. About my trick with your utility belt. And because I thought that the popular kids at school would ever like me. But they don't. They all see me as a charity case that you took in out of pity. All of that just goes to show that you were right about me being stupid, petty, and childish."

He stared down into his mug of cocoa, waiting for Bruce's response. The man was quiet for so long that Dick eventually glanced up to see an expression in his eyes that was a mix of shock, understanding, and sadness. But there was no anger or frustration.

"Is that how this all started?" Bruce asked finally as he reached over and rested a hand on Dick's shoulder. "I'm sorry that you took my words so harshly. I didn't mean to offend you so deeply. You definitely _aren't _any of those things I said. If I had realized that what I said would result in this..." He shook his head. "I went too far when I scolded you. But I'm afraid that's just my nature. I care about you so..."

Dick's eyes widened when Bruce had to pause to keep his voice from breaking. He wasn't used to seeing this level of emotion from the Batman.

"I care about you so much," Bruce continued, his voice firm but gentle once again. "I'll do anything to keep you safe, or to keep you from making mistakes. Sometimes I go about things the wrong way, though, and I apologize for that. I'm still learning about being a father and I'm still making my own mistakes. I just..." He paused to run a hand through his hair. "I just can't bear the thought of seeing you turn out like I did."

Dick pursed his lips, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, ever since _my _parents died, I've become heartless and cold, devoting all my time to justice. I don't...No, I _can't _see you become like me."

"You're beating yourself up too hard," Dick said softly, feeling all his previous anger melt away. Bruce hadn't meant any harm by any of the things he had said, just like Dick hadn't truly meant anything he had said. His guardian seemed to have as hard a time with this father-son thing as Dick did. "You're not heartless, Bruce. Not even close. At least, not to me. And you don't devote all your time to justice, either. You spend a good amount of time with me, too, right?"

Bruce was silent for a moment before cracking a slight smile. "It looks like we need each other to keep ourselves in check, doesn't it?"

Dick laughed at that, and it felt really good to laugh away all the tension that had built up between him and Bruce. "Sure does."

"Come here."

Dick obeyed Bruce's soft command with ease, jumping to his feet and falling into his guardian's waiting arms. He hugged Bruce tight before whispering, "And you _are _my father. I'm so sorry that I ever said or thought otherwise."

Bruce's grip tightened around Dick as well, and Dick could have sworn he felt a small, almost undetectable drop of water splash into his hair as his father whispered back, "And you will always be my son."

* * *

**Dang, that got kind of dark, didn't it? (Then again, what's a good fic with Batman that _isn't _dark?) I would apologize if I hadn't enjoyed writing it. Heh, oops?  
**

**Anyway, I'm almost to one hundred reviews! How cool is that? It's so cool, in fact, that I'm going to offer a little prize to my one-hundredth reviewer. Whoever writes said review will get to choose what kind of chapter I write next.**

**See, I'm thinking of starting a mini-series within _Guardian Bat _that I'm going to call "Flashback." It will involve little one-shots involving an eight-year-old Dick. Does that sound like something you would be interested in reading? I hope so.**

**That being said, whoever writes the one-hundredth review will get to decide if I make the next chapter a "Flashback" one-shot, or just a regular _Guardian Bat _one-shot. I'll PM said reviewer.**

**But this Author's Note is getting kind of long, so I'll go ahead and shut up now. Stay asterous, my amazing readers! *ninjas out***


	16. Flashback: Story

**Nicnak24 was my one-hundredth reviewer, and they requested that the next chapter be the debut of "Flashback." So, here it is! I hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

Dick stood in the courtyard of Wayne Manor, just outside the front door. He rocked back and forth on his heels impatiently, his hands clasped behind his back. When were they going to get here? Bruce said his co-workers were scheduled to arrive at eight, and it was ten past eight now. Dick wanted them to hurry up and get here so he could stop worrying.

Although, that didn't stop him from nervously pulling on Bruce's pant leg to get the man's attention. "Bruce?" he questioned, craning his neck to look up at his guardian. He was barely half as tall as Bruce. He had been told that for an eight-year-old, he was rather small. He was more the size of a five-year-old. But that was okay, because his _m__ami_ had always told him his small build was perfect for being an acrobat.

Bruce glanced down, arching one eyebrow in silent permission for his ward to continue.

"Do you think your friends are going to like me?" Dick asked, biting his lip uncertainly. He hadn't been living with Bruce for very long, but he _had _met some of his guardian's acquaintances. At least, Dick had met his _rich _acquaintances. Dick didn't like them very much, either, which was why he was so worried about these co-workers.

"Of course," Bruce said with a small but reassuring smile. He didn't elaborate any further as he turned to watch the cars pulling into the courtyard, but Dick already felt better about this whole situation.

In fact, he felt good enough to smile at the various men and women who were climbing out of their cars and approaching the front door. But his smile faded a little when each and every adult shot either confused or doubtful looks his way. Almost unconsciously, Dick shrank back, hiding behind Bruce's legs but still peering out at the other adults.

Bruce reached behind him and rested a calming hand on the top of Dick's head. Before anyone could say anything, he said, "I can see you all have questions, but I suggest we get settled inside before I answer them."

"Sure, of course!" a man with slightly spiky blonde hair and bright green eyes exclaimed, though he made no move to actually go inside. Instead he crouched next to Dick, frowning slightly when the boy took a step back. "Relax, kid, I'm not going to hurt you. Sorry if I scared you. I'm Barry."

Dick's eyes flicked from Barry's eyes, to the man's outstretched hand. He glanced back up at Barry's eyes again, relaxing when he could detect kindness in the man's gaze. "I'm Dick," he returned, slipping his small hand into Barry's larger one.

"Is that short for Richard?" a woman with blonde hair and icy blue eyes asked, though there was no hostility in her sapphire gaze.

"Mmhm," Dick hummed in confirmation, nodding as he slowly came out from behind the safety of Bruce's legs. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled at his boldness, taking Barry's place in crouching next to Dick. "My name's Dinah."

"Wow, that's a pretty name!" Dick said, his eyes widening in admiration. He smiled shyly when Dinah laughed.

"Why, thank you, Dick."

Most of the rest of the introductions went quickly after that. A man by the name of Oliver seemed a bit awkward, but he made Dick laugh by allowing the boy to touch his beard to determine if it was fake (it wasn't).

Another man introduced himself as J'onn. Dick asked where he had to be from to have a name like that, but had apologized when Bruce shot him an admonishing look. J'onn had merely chuckled, but he never answered the question.

A pretty black-haired woman who said her name was Diana complimented Dick's 'small but strong build.' Bruce had actually looked kind of proud at the comment.

The next man said his name was Arthur, and Dick had commented on how a lot of the adults had blonde hair after meeting the man. Arthur had chuckled at that and admitted that the boy had a point.

Finally, the only man left was tall, black-haired, and wore glasses. He introduced himself as Clark, and unlike the other adults, he merely nodded at Dick instead of bending down to the boy's level. Although, his smile was kind enough that Dick didn't particularly care.

After all the introductions had been made, Bruce turned to Dick and gestured with his head toward the front door of the Manor. "Why don't you head inside and try out that new video game Mr. Fox gave you?"

Dick looked up at Bruce with a frown, not quite comprehending why he was being kicked out of the group so soon. "Why?" he asked, bordering on the edge of nervous hyperventilating. Had he done something wrong? Was Bruce mad at him?

Bruce noticed, and it was his turn to crouch next to Dick, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I need to talk with my co-workers."

"Ohhh," Dick drew out the word as understanding dawned on him. "Grown-up talk?"

Bruce nodded, one half of his mouth quirking upward in a half smile. "Grown-up talk."

"Okay, then!" Dick said, cheer replacing his apprehension as he turned to wave at the other adults. "Bye, Barry and Dinah and Oliver and J'onn and Diana and Arthur and Clark!"

The men and women each registered different levels of surprise at the kid's ability to remember all their names. But Barry, Dinah, and Diana all waved back while Oliver, J'onn, Arthur, and Clark nodded their farewells.

Satisfied, Dick whirled on his heel and scurried inside. Since his back was turned, he missed the looks Bruce's co-workers shot at his guardian. And those looks were stares that clearly said, _"You have some explaining to do."_

* * *

Once the present members of the Justice League had settled around the long table in the dining room, everyone was surprisingly silent, but Bruce knew they were all contemplating how to best word their questions and concerns.

Flash was the first to speak, letting out a shocked, "You adopted a kid!"

Bruce looked at him evenly, one eyebrow arching ever so slightly. "I'm aware of that."

"And you brought us all out here to break the news without a word of warning ahead of time," Green Arrow pointed out, never one to like a surprise unless he was the one doling it out.

"Well, I wasn't about to bring him to the Watchtower," Bruce shot back dryly, his eyebrow raising higher.

"What were you thinking, Bruce?" Black Canary demanded, the kindness she had displayed around Dick nowhere in sight.

Martian Manhunter interrupted, having reverted back to his Green Martian form after Bruce had assured him the door was locked. "I believe what everyone is trying to say is that we are rather surprised by your choice to adopt considering your...other activities outside of Wayne Enterprises."

"Surprised _and _concerned," Superman put in, taking off his glasses and fiddling with them absentmindedly.

Aquaman spoke up this time. "Our fear is that with your duties as the Batman, you will find yourself unable to provide the dedication and care that young Richard needs."

Bruce resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He had been prepared for this kind of feedback, but that didn't mean the approaching headache was going to go away. "Which is why I'm prepared to take Dick on as my sidekick," he said calmly, folding his hands and resting them on top of the table.

The statement caused varied amounts of outrage and shock to ripple through the other occupants of the room. Everyone began voicing words of protest about why they thought that was a terrible idea, the most prominent one being that Dick was just a kid.

"And that's why I want to start him early," Bruce interjected, effectively quieting the chatter with a batglare. "Younger kids always learn faster than teenagers. And Diana," he gestured to Wonder Woman, "you yourself said he had a small, strong build. Perfect for crime-fighting."

She shook her head, her silky black hair swaying across her shoulders. "When I complimented Richard on his stature, I did not intend for you to take that as permission for your latest scheme."

"Scheme," Bruce repeated, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown. He was almost offended, except he wasn't. "Look, I appreciate all of your concerns, but you aren't going to change my mind."

When he could sense another bout of arguing brewing, he held up a hand to stop the others from speaking. "You want to know why I adopted him?"

The members of the Justice League still looked doubtful, but they all remained silent. Barry even nodded in encouragement for Bruce to go on.

"Dick Grayson used to be part of an acrobatic group called the Flying Graysons. They performed for Haly's Circus. They were a hit with the crowd because they did death-defying stunts all without a safety net to catch them should they fall."

A stifling silence surrounded the group when Bruce paused. Each and every one of them had a very strong feeling that they knew where this was going.

"Needless to say, someone sabotaged their act. They fell to their deaths right in front of Dick's eyes." Bruce's voice remained cool and collected even as the other members of the Justice League registered different levels of shock and dismay.

"I'm working on finding who was responsible," Bruce continued when no one spoke up. "But I want Dick at my side when I do. He may be just a little kid, but I know he holds anger and hatred toward whoever killed his parents. I also know that if I don't train him and bring him up the right way, he'll..."

When his voice faltered, he wanted to disappear. He was the _Batman. _He was strong. Emotionless. His voice didn't break like this.

But none of the others seemed to care. Diana even reached over from her spot to Bruce's left and rested a hand on his arm. "He'll what, Bruce?"

Bruce forced himself to meet the eyes of his teammates, ignoring the pity and concern emanating from them. "He'll turn out like me. And I can't have that."

The statement definitely quieted everyone around the table (if they were capable of getting any quieter than they already were, that is). Dinah was the one to finally break the silence when she said, "That being said, I still don't think it's wise to introduce Dick to crime-fighting."

When Bruce opened his mouth to argue, it was her turn to hold up a hand to silence him. "_Yet. _I don't think it's wise to introduce Dick to crime-fighting _yet._"

"We agree with you," Clark said, turning from his spot to Bruce's right to face his teammate head-on. "But Dick is only eight. Do you really think it's best to get him involved in the dark criminal world that the Batman faces almost every night?"

"We only want what's best for the boy," Arthur spoke up.

"Yeah, just like you, Bats!" Barry put in, nodding quickly. And by 'quickly,' that meant his head was a blur. "We want Dick to turn out right as much as you do."

"Letting Richard participate in the catching of the man who murdered his parents is not the worst idea you have ever had," J'onn said, his nod contrasting Barry's in that it was slow. "But I agree with Superman. Richard is only eight. Do you not think it would be best to let him continue being a child for as long as he is able?"

Bruce listened carefully as each member of the Justice League presented their arguments. And he had to admit they had a point. Dick _was _still a kid. Bruce didn't want to push him too hard. He didn't want to cause any pain for the boy.

So, with a sigh, he said, "All right. I won't take Dick on as my sidekick."

The others breathed out collectively in relief, but Bruce continued, "Yet. If I decide it's best for the boy to become a crime-fighter in the future, then I'm going to help him do that."

And really, no one could argue with that. They were just pleased that they had stopped Batman from taking on a sidekick for now. They had all found Dick adorably innocent. They didn't want anything, even Bruce, robbing him of his childhood.

"Now," Bruce said, straightening in his chair and adopting his Batman-like coolness once again. "While we're all here, I think we should go over that mission in Russia last week..."

* * *

Dick had grown bored with the video game Lucius had given him last week. (Bruce had left him with the older man, claiming he had to go out of town for work-related reasons. Dick hadn't been too sure about the elderly black man, but he had quickly changed tune when Mr. Fox offered him the video game, saying his grandson had outgrown it and that he wanted Dick to have it.)

But Dick was bored now because he had beaten all twelve levels in the past hour and a half. He figured they'd gotten the E10+ rating for difficulty wrong. He wasn't even ten and he had finished the game easily.

Dick sat on the edge of his bed, bouncing up and down impatiently as he stared at the clock. The glowing red letters read _10:05. _Bruce usually made sure Dick went to bed around 9 o'clock. Dick enjoyed the opportunity to stay up late, but even he had to admit he was getting tired now.

He sighed and slid off the bed, deciding it was time to take matters into his own hands. Grabbing his old worn down copy of _The Lorax _off of his bookshelf, Dick hurried down toward the dining room.

Why _The Lorax_? Well, Dick's _mami_ had read it to him every night before bed. She and _Tati _would take turns doing the voices of the Lorax and the Once-ler, never failing to make Dick giggle. But that wasn't the only reason Dick loved the book. Along with the weird animals that were reminiscent of the circus, _Mami _had always emphasized the point of the book. She had said that even the smallest people were capable of making a difference if they only tried. Dick liked that, especially since he considered himself a small person.

Now, Dick had only gotten Bruce to read him the story every once in a while, but that was okay. Dick knew Bruce was trying. At least his guardian did the voices whenever he _did _read the book.

Still, though. Dick asked Bruce to read to him every night, accepting it when Bruce said no, but loving it when he said yes. Why would tonight be any different?

Dick crept up to the closed door of the dining room, listening to the muffled voices on the other side. He lifted a fist and cautiously knocked on the door, listening carefully when the voices stopped and the sound of ridiculously quick footsteps reached his ears. Dick heard the sound of a lock clicking, and then the door was open, revealing Barry.

"Hey, kid! What's up?"

"Um..." Dick peered around Barry's legs, taking in the sight of the adults from before. Fortunately, none of them looked angry. Only curious. "Hi. I was hoping...um..."

Now that he was here, he was starting to feel a little bad that he had interrupted the grown-up talk. He clutched _The Lorax _close to his chest, his eyes widened and filled with uncertainty. "I was hoping someone could read to me. It's late and I'm tired."

All the adults turned to Bruce, obviously disapproving of the late hour and the fact that his ward was still awake.

Bruce sighed and gestured to Dick with one hand. "Come here, Dick."

Dick held his book a little tighter, practically tiptoeing over to Bruce (that was how careful he was being). He slipped into the space between Bruce's and Diana's chairs, tilting his chin up to look at his guardian. "Yes, Bruce?"

Instead of answering, Bruce wordlessly reached down and picked Dick up, placing him securely in his lap and holding his hand out for the book. "May I?"

Dick lit up when he realized what Bruce wanted, eagerly handing the book over and tucking himself against the man's chest (it wasn't hard. Bruce was pretty big compared to Dick).

The room was silent after that except for Bruce's deep rich voice reading the story to his ward. When it came time for the voices, Dick giggled at Bruce's imitation of the Lorax. He didn't know it, but it was basically the same as Bruce's Batman voice.

But when it was the Once-ler's turn to speak, Dick interrupted, "Wait!"

The spell from Bruce's reading that had seemed to come over the room was shattered, and some of the adults actually jumped when Dick cried out.

Bruce sighed softly before asking, "What is it?"

"You do really good voices, Bruce," Dick reassured, "but I think he would make a really good Once-ler."

Clark raised both eyebrows when he saw that the 'he' Dick was referring to was himself. "Are you sure?"

Dick just nodded vigorously, and Clark found that he couldn't say no to those eager blue eyes.

Once the reading had resumed, everyone relaxed back into their chairs. Or in Dick's case, he relaxed back against Bruce's chest. He allowed his eyes to flutter closed as he listened to Bruce and Clark read (after all, he had seen the pictures enough times that he could see them in his head without actually seeing them for real).

Dick stifled a yawn, not wanting the adults to see how tired he was; not wanting Bruce to send him to bed before the story was over. And yet, Dick found that it didn't matter as he drifted off, lulled to sleep by the voice of his guardian.

* * *

"Bruce," Flash interrupted the story, causing both Bruce and Clark to shoot displeased looks his way. Barry held up his hands in surrender as he insisted in a whisper, "Hey, don't shoot the messenger! I wanted to pointed out that I think your primary listener just fell asleep."

They found that Flash was right, and Bruce quietly closed the book without finishing it, placing it on the table gently so as not to jostle Dick too much.

"I'll be back," Bruce said, carefully picking Dick up, trying his best not to wake his young ward.

He didn't have to worry about that, though, because Dick only stirred slightly and moved to sling his arms around Bruce's neck, resting his head against his guardian's shoulder and becoming still once again.

The other members of the Justice League watched the pair go, making sure not to smile softly until after Bruce's back had turned. They knew now that they couldn't criticize Bruce for adopting Dick. They could see that Wayne Manor was the best place for the young boy because the best place for the boy was in the arms and care of Bruce Wayne.

* * *

**And there we go! That was the debut of "Flashback." Let me know what you think and if I should continue weaving "Flashback" chapters into my regular _Guardian Bat _one-shots.  
**

**Stay asterous! *ninjas out***


	17. Flashback: Friend

**Aw, I'm so glad everyone seemed to enjoy my debut of "Flashback." I got so many good reviews! So, I thought no one would mind if I went ahead and wrote another "Flashback" chapter. At least, I hope no one minds. XD**

* * *

Bruce was about to head down to the Batcave when he heard screaming echoing through the halls. It didn't help that the shrieking included his name repeated over and over along with the word 'help.' He almost sighed, for this happened just about every night. It looked like patrol as the Batman could wait.

He burst into the bedroom, taking in the sight of the small shaking boy whose size was only even more dwarfed by the large bed. "Dick, what-" Bruce started to ask as he approached the bed, but he was cut off by Dick standing up on the mattress and launching himself at Bruce.

The boy clung to him as if Bruce was the only thing keeping him from falling. "The sh-shadows," he stammered, his words coming out in between panicked gasps. "Y-You have to...to save me from them."

"Why?"

"The...the person who k-killed _Mami _and _Tati _is...is hiding there. I j-just know...it."

This time Bruce did sigh. Dick always had some form of a nightmare that primarily revolved around his parents. He would never admit it, but it broke Bruce's heart to see the boy going through exactly what Bruce himself had gone through after his own parents' deaths. "Dick, the shadows aren't your enemy."

Dick's grip around Bruce's neck tightened, but he wasn't near strong enough to actually hurt his guardian. "They...They aren't?"

"Of course not," Bruce said firmly, and he would have shaken his head if he had the ability to do so. "The shadows aren't bad. They're safe. Secure. You can count on them. You can even use them."

Dick had ceased trembling at this point, and he pulled away from Bruce far enough to look at his guardian. His blue eyes shown with curiosity in the soft moonlight filtering through the windows. "Use them? How?"

Bruce hesitated for a second before asking, "You've heard of the Batman?"

As if that was the magic word, Dick's eyes lit up as he nodded eagerly. "Yes!"

Bruce chuckled softly before continuing. "Well, Batman uses the shadows to help him hide from his adversaries."

Dick gasped, his eyes widening in awe and admiration. "You mean that Batman wouldn't be able to sneak up on the bad guys without the shadows?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

The boy looked at the darker parts of his room with a new light. "Oh," he whispered. "Maybe the shadows aren't so bad, then."

Bruce nodded in agreement, briefly glancing at the clock next to Dick's bed. He resisted to cringe when he saw the hour. He'd spent enough time here. He needed to get moving. "Do you think you can go back to sleep now?"

Dick paused before nodding, finally releasing Bruce and climbing back into bed. "Good night, Bruce."

Bruce offered a small but genuine smile as he almost unconsciously tucked Dick in (he'd gotten so used to doing it at this point that he didn't even have to think when he did it). "Good night, Dick."

While Bruce knew that he had reassured the boy for the night, he also knew that Dick would wake up the next morning and be quiet and reserved. His ward always shut down after having a nightmare, and Bruce hated seeing the boy that way.

But maybe he had a solution this time (he didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before now). He made a quick phone call to a friend as he headed down to the Batcave. "Barry, it's Bruce. I know it's late, but I need to cash in a favor..."

* * *

Dick perched on top of one of the tall stools next to the kitchen island, quietly shading in the picture in his coloring book. An untouched plate of bacon and eggs sat on the counter top near him. Bruce had encouraged him to eat, but Dick had merely shaken his head. He wasn't hungry. He knew that if he ate, he would just throw it back up. His stomach was still upset from the memory of the bad dream last night.

Fortunately, after Bruce had realized he wasn't going to be able to make his ward eat, the man had left Dick alone to color in silence. Or at least, it was silent until the doorbell rang.

Soon after the doorbell sounded, a boy that Dick figured was a few years older than he was came into the kitchen. The boy climbed up onto the stool next to Dick, pointing at the breakfast Dick had failed to touch.

"You gonna eat that?"

Dick glanced up long enough to notice that the boy had unruly red hair, green eyes, and freckles. "No," he said shortly, looking back down at his coloring page.

"Awesome!" the boy crowed, shoving the food into his mouth, not even bothering with a fork. When he spoke again, his mouth was full. "I'm Wally, by the way."

Dick would have usually laughed at Wally's lack of manners, but this time he shrugged wordlessly, though he realized he should probably introduce himself, too. "I'm Dick."

"Cool! So. Whatcha doin'?" Wally asked, peering over Dick's shoulder at his coloring book. "Batman, huh? I guess that makes sense because-"

Dick looked up with interest when Wally suddenly broke off, clapping his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide. "Because what?"

"Nothing!" Wally squeaked, shaking his head vigorously. "Mr. Wayne made me promise that I would pretend I didn't know."

Dick perked up even more. Bruce had a secret? Why hadn't he told Dick? "What do you know?"

"You're really good at coloring," Wally said quickly, changing the subject. "You mind if I use one of your uncolored pages?"

Dick was effectively distracted by that, finding himself glad that someone wanted to color with him. He could get Bruce to do a lot of things, but coloring wasn't one of them. "I don't mind! Which one do you want?"

"You have a Flash in there?"

So, a few minutes later, both Dick and Wally were coloring peacefully. At least, until Wally spoke up again. "We should do something fun once we're done here."

Dick looked up from his almost finished, expertly colored picture of Batman. "This _is_ fun."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I mean we should get out of the house and _go _somewhere fun."

That had gotten Dick's attention. "Like where?"

"I heard your dad funded a new park recently."

"Bruce isn't my dad," Dick said automatically, frowning.

Wally dropped his red crayon and held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Anyway, I heard _Mr. Wayne _funded a new park recently. We should ask him and my uncle Barry if they can take us to play there!"

"Barry's your uncle?"

"Dude! Stay on topic, would you? Do you want to go to the park or what?"

Dick nodded immediately, and Wally cheered before hopping off of his stool and running out of the room in search of the adults. Pretty soon, all four of them were in Barry's car. It had taken Dick's big, irresistible blue eyes to convince Bruce, but they had gotten permission.

"Race you to the swings!" Wally called as soon as they had parked the car. He took off at a run toward the playground.

Dick laughed and rushed after him, but he found that his short legs weren't conducive for winning a race, especially with how fast Wally was running. He was almost a blur.

"No fair!" Dick protested after he had reached the swings, bending over and resting his hands on his knees as he panted. "You got a head start!"

"Head start or no, I still won," Wally bragged with a grin as he sat down on one of the empty swings and began pumping his legs. "I bet I can get higher than you!"

"Oh, you're _so_ on_._"

Halfway through their swing race, Bruce came over and asked Dick if he needed help, for the boy had found that his short legs _also _weren't conducive for getting his swing to go very high. Dick accepted the help when Wally didn't voice a word of protest.

"Higher!" Dick laughed with delight. Swinging was _so _much easier with Bruce pushing him! Especially when his guardian didn't seem to care when Dick started going so high that he almost flipped upside down.

"Bruce!" Barry called from his position on a nearby bench. "What the heck are you doing? You're going to hurt your kid!"

Bruce just shot him a look before taking several steps back and shading his eyes to watch Dick. "Relax, Allen. I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Do you? As I recall, you've never taken care of a kid-"

Barry was forced to break off when he watched Dick suddenly come flying off the swing. Before he had time to scream a warning, Dick had folded into a ball and executed several back flips, coming to a graceful landing on Bruce's shoulders.

"Ta-da!" Dick beamed, holding his arms out and bending his head back like a gymnast.

"Dude!" Wally gaped as he came to a stop on his own swing. "That was _epic!_ How did you do that?"

"He's an acrobat," Barry answered, rubbing the back of his neck as he offered an embarrassed smile. "I...kind of forgot that part."

Bruce smirked slightly as Dick pushed off of his shoulders and executed one last back flip, landing lightly on the grass behind his guardian. "I told you I knew what I was doing."

Dick grinned up at Bruce, but his smile disappeared when screams started sounding from across the park. Dick peered around his guardian even as Bruce's head snapped around, his eyes narrowing as he took in the situation.

"What's that, Bruce?" Dick asked nervously, pointing at the trees that had suddenly started moving. And they certainly weren't swaying in the gentle breeze. No, they were all out _moving, _roots and all.

"Dick, stay with Wally," Bruce ordered, his voice becoming rough and demanding. "Barry, you're with me."

"Wait!" Dick protested, his eyes widening in fear as he clutched at Bruce's leg. "Where are you going?"

But Bruce just shook Dick off, pushing him toward Wally. "_Stay here._"

Dick felt his eyes watering as Bruce darted off, and it wasn't because of the harsh tone his guardian had used. "Bruce!" he screamed, starting to run after the man.

Wally lunged forward and pulled Dick into his arms, starting to drag the other boy to safety behind a tree that _wasn't _moving irregularly. "Dick, it's okay. He-"

"Let me go, Wally!" Dick snapped, but his small form didn't have near enough strength to break away from the older boy's grasp.

"No!" Wally shot back, his voice harder than Dick had ever thought possible. "You heard Bruce. He told us to stay here."

"Aren't you worried about your uncle?"

"Of course! But they're going to be fine. Trust me."

Finally, realizing that there was no chance he was going to be able to get away from Wally, Dick sagged in his new friend's arms, slipping through Wally's grasp to come to a rest on his knees on the ground. Dick hugged his stomach, feeling it beginning to twist and turn like it had been that morning.

"Wally, I'm scared," he whispered, his eyes starting to water again. This time, he allowed a few tears to fall.

Wally knelt next to him, awkwardly patting his shoulder. "Hey. Hey, don't cry. It's going to be okay. You'll see."

"I...I don't want him to get hurt," Dick said, biting his lip when it started to tremble. He _couldn't _see Bruce get hurt. He couldn't lose Bruce like he had lost his parents. Not again.

"And he won't," Wally said reassuringly, his voice confident.

"How do you know that?" Dick demanded, trying to make his voice firm but failing.

"Because..." Wally hesitated before finishing with a sigh, "Because my uncle is the Flash."

Dick snapped his head around to stare at Wally with wide eyes, his tears suddenly nowhere in sight. "Barry is the_ Flash_?" he repeated, his mouth dropping open. "No way!"

Wally laughed a tad nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, looking an awful lot like Barry had earlier when the man had done the same thing. "Yeah, well, it's the truth."

"Is that how you were so fast when we were racing?"

"Um...yeah. I used a little bit of my Speed Force to win."

Dick, effectively distracted by this new information, shoved Wally. "You cheated!"

Wally shoved him back, grinning goofily. "I said I only used a _little _bit."

Dick laughed, and for the remainder of the fight occurring across the park, the two boys stayed safely tucked behind a tree, talking about the Flash. When Bruce and Barry found them there later, though, Dick broke off the conversation to lunge at Bruce, wrapping his arms tightly around his guardian's legs.

Bruce looked down at his ward in surprise. "I was only gone for an hour, Dick," he said, as if an hour wasn't an insanely long amount of time to an eight-year-old.

"I was scared for you," Dick mumbled into Bruce's legs before looking up at the man with tear-filled eyes. "Even if Barry is the Flash."

Both Bruce and Barry shot looks at Wally. Barry's was surprised and Bruce's was upset.

"You told him I'm the Flash?" Barry asked confusedly, scratching his head. "Why'd you do that?"

"Yes," Bruce said, his eyes narrowing. "Why did you do that?"

Wally crossed his arms and lifted his chin defiantly. "Look, the kid was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I thought you would be proud of me for keeping him from passing out."

Bruce's eyes softened as he looked down at his ward again. "Is that true, Dick?"

Dick bit his lip and nodded. "I...I was afraid that you would get hurt. I d-didn't want to...to lose you."

Bruce sighed, all his previous anger melting away as he bent down and picked Dick up. Dick instantly threw his arms around Bruce's neck, burying his face in his guardian's shoulder.

"You have nothing to worry about," Bruce reassured. "I'm fine. See?"

Dick nodded wordlessly, but he didn't release his hold on Bruce.

"Of course he's fine," Barry put in. "Because guess who else showed up to help?"

Dick was quiet for a moment before peeking over Bruce's shoulder at Barry. "Who?"

"Batman," Barry answered with a grin. "Yup. I could have handled it without his help, but he sure lent a pretty good hand."

Dick's eyes widened in appreciation, and he missed Wally's knowing smirk since he was still staring at Barry. He also missed Bruce's brief eye roll.

"There, you see?" Wally spoke up, smiling at Dick when the other boy turned his gaze on him. "I told you Bruce would be okay."

Dick nodded, but he still clung to Bruce. He didn't want to let go just yet. "Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go home?"

"You don't want to play anymore?"

Dick shook his head. "No. But can Wally stay for a sleepover tonight?"

Bruce smiled ever so slightly. It seemed that the favor he had asked of Barry was turning out to be a larger favor than he had anticipated. All he had wanted was for Wally to cheer Dick up, but he had watched something even better happen. Dick had made a new friend, and God knew the kid needed friends.

Wally perked up at the question. "Yeah, can I?"

"I'll have to ask your mother, but I'm sure that will be fine," Barry answered with a nod, turning to Bruce. "What do you say, Bruce? Think you can handle Wally for the rest of the day?"

Even if Bruce had wanted to say no, there was no way he could have done that with the way Dick was looking at him. "I think I can manage that."

The two boys cheered, and when Dick asked to be put down, Bruce knew his ward was going to recover just fine.

And that night was the quietest Bruce had truly experienced since he had taken Dick in, for the boy didn't wake up screaming. Not even once.

* * *

**I don't think I have much to say here. Stay asterous and all that. Oh, and expect a _Guardian Bat _chapter to be up sometime this week (hopefully). *ninjas out*  
**


	18. Gone

**I don't know if major character death is a trigger warning, but I'm warning you all the same. Also, I had a lot of fun writing this one! There's some Dick and Wally brother-like bonding in it, too. I suppose you could see it as Birdflash if you want to, but I've always seen Dick and Wally as brothers and best friends. Nothing more. Anyway, shutting up now! I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

* * *

Robin perched on top of a rooftop, shifting impatiently. He had forgotten his binoculars at the Batcave and was now being forced to share Batman's pair. News flash! Batman didn't like to share, apparently.

"Can I take a peek?" Robin asked for perhaps the tenth time, letting out an exasperated puff of air. "I'll be going in blind if I don't get a feel for the situation."

At first, it didn't seem like Batman had heard him because the Dark Knight continued to look silently through the binoculars. Just as Robin was about to ask _again,_ Batman wordlessly handed the binoculars over.

"Not very chatty tonight, huh?" Robin teased, snatching the binoculars away before Batman could change his mind.

His mentor merely shot him a batglare in response to his apprentice's question.

"Guess that's a no," Robin muttered, taking a peek through the binoculars.

The situation wasn't looking too good. Batman and Robin were scoping out the Ace Chemicals plant. They'd gotten an anonymous tip that said Scarecrow had been seen around the plant every night for the past week. Upon hearing about this, Batman had immediately deduced that Scarecrow was likely using the plant to mass produce his fear toxin.

"If he's Scarecrow, does that make you the Tin Man?" Robin asked suddenly, passing the binoculars back to Batman.

The Dark Knight arched one eyebrow beneath his cowl, finally breaking his silence by speaking one word. "What?"

"You know, from _The Wizard of Oz_," the Boy Wonder explained slowly as if he was talking to a first grader. "You'd be the Tin Man because you've been accused of not having a heart. Scarecrow's, well, _Scarecrow, _obviously. Which makes sense because he's not always the sharpest knife in the drawer."

Batman just grunted this time, looking away from his apprentice to continue surveying the situation down below.

"And that would make me Dorothy," Robin went on, nodding as if this made perfect sense.

Batman sighed heavily, asking reluctantly, "Because?"

"Because we're both optimistic and annoying!" Robin answered with a grin, resisting to cheer when Batman's lips curled into the smallest smirk. Robin always counted it as an accomplishment when he managed to make his mentor smile.

However, Batman's brief moment of amusement was over when he took another peek through the binoculars. Frowning almost immediately after taking a look, he lowered the gadget and tucked it away.

"Time to move?" Robin asked, raising up on his toes and retrieving his grappling gun.

"Be careful," Batman answered, pulling out his own grappling hook. "There are rumors about-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Robin cut him off, ignoring his mentor's annoyed glare. He knew Batman didn't appreciate being interrupted, but he was sick and tired of the whole 'be careful, Dick, I don't trust you to take care of yourself' thing. "There are rumors that Scarecrow has been developing a stronger dose of his fear toxin. Got it. Can we go now?"

Batman didn't answer this time as he launched his grappling hook across the street. After it had attached to the Ace Chemicals building, he leaped off the roof, swinging down toward the ground.

Robin was right behind him, letting out a soft cackle as he landed gracefully next to his mentor, ducking into the shadows as soon as his feet touched the ground.

Batman shot him a look that, even beneath the cowl, clearly read, "What did I tell you about the cackle?" But the Dark Knight didn't say a word. He merely lifted his hand in a signal that meant he wanted Robin to stay close.

The Boy Wonder nodded to show that he understood and then followed Batman into the building, prepping his twin staffs as he went. From what he had seen through the binoculars earlier, it looked like Scarecrow had acquired some more backup. Hired thugs he could handle, but when they came in dozens? Yeah, things weren't so easy when that happened.

Robin stayed behind Batman as the Dynamic Duo crept through the chemical plant, his eyes darting around as he observed the situation around him. He could have sworn he had seen at _least _two dozen armed Scarecrow guards here earlier. Now, he couldn't see a single one. And it was _way _too quiet.

"Batman?" he whispered uncertainly, snapping his mouth closed when his mentor held up a fist in the signal for 'stop.'

"Listen," Batman muttered back, angling his head so that he could hear better.

Robin could tell that Batman was trying to listen upward, so he mimicked his mentor's head position and held his breath. It took a minute, but he could just barely detect the sound of footsteps coming from the steps leading up to the roof.

"Wait here," Batman ordered, his tone leaving no room for debate. He lifted his grappling gun and fired the hook toward the ceiling, flying upward after the unmistakable sound of the hook catching on the metal stairs echoed quietly.

_Wait here? _Robin repeated mentally, frowning. Batman rarely made him stay behind on missions. What was the big deal this time? Did his mentor really not trust him to keep from breathing in any of the fear toxin they might encounter?

After a few minutes, the Boy Wonder began tapping his foot impatiently. _Wait here, _he thought again, scoffing. When the sounds of grunts and punches being thrown echoed down from the open roof access door, Robin lifted his own grappling gun. _In your dreams, Bruce._

Robin flew upward and landed without a sound on the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he burst out onto the roof, the sight that greeted him was one of pure chaos. Batman was surrounded by at least a dozen thugs, and the situation was looking pretty dire. The Dark Knight could manage to take down two or three men before just as many took their comrades' places.

The Boy Wonder immediately leaped into action, spinning his dual staffs around on his fingertips and diving into the battle. He tripped up one thug with a swing to the man's legs. At the same time, Robin swept out his own leg to send a second thug tumbling over.

Robin cackled at the rush of adrenaline the fight gave him and he called to Batman over the sounds of battle, "I bet you're glad I didn't 'wait there' now, huh!"

"I gave you a direct order, Robin," Batman returned as he landed a solid punch in the face of a thug that was trying to sneak up on him. "'Glad' isn't the word I would use."

Robin rolled his eyes as he cracked one staff into the side of one man's head, while kicking out behind him to shove his foot into another thug's gut. "You're just embarrassed because you would have been doomed without me."

Distracted by the banter between him and Batman, Robin didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind him until it was almost too late. And it _would _have been too late if Batman hadn't cried out, "Robin!"

Robin whirled around and came face to face with Scarecrow. Before he could register surprise when the villain moved to spray him, Batman was shoving him out of the way. The Boy Wonder was forced to watch in horror as Scarecrow sprayed a cloud of gas into Batman's face, causing the Dark Knight to stumble backward.

"Well!" Scarecrow laughed, sounding way too gleeful. "I was planning on making your sidekick suffer, but this is even better!"

"No!" Robin cried, darting over toward a struggling Batman. "Batman! Are you okay?"

"Oh, he's far from okay, boy," Scarecrow said, a sneer in his voice. "In fact, I think the hallucinations are starting to take effect. You might want to run."

Robin took an involuntary step back when Batman suddenly stopped staggering around. The Dark Knight's movements were stiff as he turned to face his apprentice. His eyes narrowed in a look that Robin knew all too well.

"Batman, it's me!" he said desperately, knowing that it would do no good. Whatever visions Batman was seeing, it was clear that he saw Robin as a threat and not a good guy. "Snap out of it!"

Batman didn't seem to hear him as he began ruthlessly attacking Robin. It took all of the Boy Wonder's concentration to dodge all the kicks and punches. He couldn't beat Batman by himself! He'd _never _been able to do that. The most he could do was try and avoid the attacks as best he could.

"Batman!" he tried again, barely rolling to the side to dodge a roundhouse kick. "Please don't do this."

And yet, Batman still didn't stop in his merciless pursuit of his apprentice's downfall.

"This has been fun," Scarecrow's voice broke through Robin's haze of concentration, as did the sound of a helicopter and the strong gust of wind that came from the aircraft's spinning blades. "But I've got to fly." The villain paused before climbing into the helicopter long enough to cringe. "That was terrible. Do me a favor and don't tell the Joker about that one? Although, I suppose it will be hard to tell the Joker anything since you'll be dead."

Robin would normally have come up with a witty comeback to shoot at the Scarecrow before he flew away in his aircraft, but the Boy Wonder was too intent on keeping all of his body parts intact.

Throughout all of his evasive maneuvers, Robin had somehow backed himself into a corner. That corner was the edge of the Ace Chemicals roof. A fall from here could definitely kill him.

"Batman!" he tried one last time, pausing in the fight to accidentally become distracted enough to receive a solid push from Batman's foot. The kick sent him tumbling over the roof. Fortunately, he managed to grab the edge before he went plummeting to his death. Unfortunately, he only managed to do that with one hand.

Batman lifted one foot to stomp on Robin's hand, but the Boy Wonder had to try reaching his mentor one last time.

"Bruce!" he cried, his voice pained and weak. He couldn't keep this up anymore. He couldn't fight his father. "Bruce, _please. _It's me! Dick!"

Just as Batman was about to bring his foot down, he froze, shaking his head fiercely. "Robin?" he questioned, his voice uncharacteristically uncertain.

Robin breathed out a sigh of relief. "Yes! Yes, you-"

He broke off, his eyes widening as a sudden gust of cold wind caused him to lose his grip on the edge of the building. And here he was being thankful that it wasn't raining.

Before Robin could let out a cry of surprise, Batman was leaping off the roof after him. His mentor hadn't recovered fast enough from the fear toxin for his reflexes to kick in long enough to grab his apprentice before Robin fell. "Your grappling gun!" the Dark Knight called.

Robin obeyed immediately only to find his hand coming up empty. No way. No _freaking _way. "I left it inside!" he shouted back, trying to be heard over the wind blowing in his ears. How could he have been so stupid? He'd been in such a hurry to get to the roof that he had left his grappling gun behind.

Batman folded his arms and legs in straight so that he could fall faster, snatching up Robin in his arms.

_Thank goodness, _the Boy Wonder thought. They would be out of this in no time...so...why wasn't Batman pulling out his own grappling gun?

"What are you doing?" Robin asked, panicked.

"My hook got busted in the fight," Batman answered, surprisingly calm.

"But...wait. That means..." Robin's eyes widened even further as the ground drew nearer and he and Batman were still falling. "Batman..."

"Hang on," his mentor ordered, angling his body so that he would land first to break Robin's fall.

"Wait," the Boy Wonder said again, his heart leaping out of his chest. "No! Bruce, wai-"

But there was no waiting. Not this time. The last thing Robin heard before blacking out was a sickening crack, and the last thing he felt was pain shooting up his left arm.

* * *

When Robin came to, the first thing he noticed was the fiery pain spiking through his left wrist. He groaned as he opened his eyes to find that the reason it hurt was because that was the one body part Batman hadn't managed to tuck safely away.

Robin grunted as he yanked his hand out from underneath his mentor, crying out in pain when he managed to free his wrist. That was definitely broken.

"Batman," he moaned, pushing against Batman's chest with his good arm so that he could lift his head. He was still resting on top of his mentor, and there was no telling how long the two of them had been laying there on the concrete. "Batman, we have to go before the police find us here."

When he got no answer, he lifted his good hand and shook Batman's shoulder. "Batman, come on. Wake up."

He still received no form of response, and he was slowly realizing that Batman was laying way too still. "Batman?" he questioned again, cautiously reaching for his mentor's neck to feel for a pulse. When he found none, his eyes widened as the truth hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Bruce?" Robin whispered his father's name this time. The name didn't get an answer out of Batman, either, and that was when Robin knew for sure that his mentor was gone.

"Bruce," he whispered again, letting his head drop to rest his forehead against his father's chest. He wanted to cry. He wanted to sob his heart out. But he found that his eyes remained completely dry and the rest of his body was numb. He had a feeling it was shock.

Something snapped in Robin at that moment. Something irreparable. Yet he still didn't cry. He merely lifted his good hand to the communication unit resting in his ear, tapping the device to activate it. "Robin to the Cave."

_"Robin? Is something wrong? It's so late!"_

"M'gann," Robin greeted flatly, his voice holding no emotion. "I need you to get Red Tornado out here to Ace Chemicals."

_"Okay. Why?"_

"Batman's dead and I need help moving his body before the police get here."

There was silence on the other end of the line for several long seconds, so Robin ended up barking, "M'gann! Did you hear me?"

_"I...yes. Did you say Batman's...dead?"_

"Yes," Robin answered shortly, his tone sharpening even more than it already had.

_"But...Robin, are you...Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine," the Boy Wonder snapped. "Just get Red Tornado."

He shut off the comm unit and got to his feet, clutching his broken wrist to his chest as he attempted to get up without tripping over Batman. Once he had safely made it to a standing position, he stared down at his mentor's body, unblinking. He didn't know how long he stood there before Red Tornado showed up, offering what were probably consoling words, but Robin didn't hear him.

After that, everything flew by in a blur. Even having his broken wrist bandaged hadn't fazed Robin. He didn't feel much of anything anymore.

Batman had a Justice League funeral first, for there were still several team members who were unaware of his secret identity. The Young Justice team attended as well. There were a lot of controlled tears shed, though none of them came from Robin himself. He had yet to cry.

Everyone offered their condolences to Robin, knowing that the Boy Wonder was by far the closet person to the Dark Knight. But Robin barely heard any of them. He only listened enough to know when they were finished and he needed to thank them.

There was a second funeral a day or two later, this one for Bruce Wayne. Only a small amount of people attended that one. The few members of the Justice League who knew Bruce was the Batman were there, along with Alfred and Dick. Someone-Alfred, he believed-had asked Dick if he wanted to deliver the eulogy. Dick had merely shaken his head. He had yet to speak since his conversation with M'gann as well.

Dick barely heard the eulogy that Alfred delivered. There was something about Bruce being a good man who pursued justice, and there was also something about Alfred knowing Bruce all of the late man's life. Dick assumed it was meaningful because more tears were being shed. He, however, remained dry-eyed throughout it all.

After it was over, Dick stood in front of Bruce's grave for an indeterminable amount of time, staring down at the tombstone but not really seeing it. He was still so numb that he didn't even jump when someone laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey." It was Wally. "Can I stop pretending I don't know the truth about you and Bruce for a minute?"

"We both know you're aware of Bruce's and my secrets," Dick answered, his voice scratchy from days of unuse. His tone was also stuck on the flat and emotionless level. "And we both know you only pretended around me so that you wouldn't accidentally blurt it out to the team later."

"Yeah," Wally said, his voice unusually soft, as if he was tiptoeing on eggshells around his best friend. "Listen, I know how close you and Bruce were."

"And?" Dick asked, refusing to look at his friend.

"And I kind of thought you would be more upset than this," Wally answered, sounding concerned. "It's not good to keep those feelings bottled up, Rob. Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about," Dick replied, whirling on his heel and starting back toward the Manor. "Bruce is dead. Another one of my parents is _dead. _I'll move on. I always have."

Wally frowned as he followed, but he didn't try to argue anymore. "Is it too much to ask if I can stay for a sleepover?" he asked with a slight smile. "You know, like we used to do when we were kids."

"We still are kids, KF," Dick returned, forcing a slight smile. It must have been convincing enough because Wally let loose a light laugh. "But no. It isn't too much to ask. My bed's still more than big enough for the two of us."

"Aren't we a little old to be sleeping in the same bed?" Wally asked teasingly. Although, his joking sounded more strained than usual.

Dick grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Feel free to sleep on the floor."

"Dude, no. Your bed is way too comfortable. I was kidding."

So, that night, the two friends dressed in sweats and baggy t-shirts, climbing into Dick's bed. But instead of talking like they usually did, Dick just rolled over to face away from Wally, pretending to sleep.

About a half hour later, though, Wally spoke up. "You awake?"

Dick sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid this. "I don't want to talk about it, Wally."

"Dick, come on, it's just the two of us. I swear I won't say a word to anyone about this."

"There's nothing to say because I'm _not __talking about it._"

"We both know Bruce loved you like a son and you loved him like a father. You can't honestly expect me to believe that you're _fine._"

There was something about the way Wally was using the past tense to speak about Bruce that set Dick off. Suddenly, he felt his dry eyes stinging with tears, and before long, those tears were streaming down his face. With the tears came a high-pitched keening sound that Dick realized was him.

His face contorted as he cried out Bruce's name over and over along with a few no's mixed in between.

"Why?" Dick cried, his chest and stomach both aching from the gut-wrenching sobs racking his body.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Wally soothed, hiding his own tears as he pulled his best friend into a hug. He couldn't bear to see Dick this way.

"It isn't!" Dick returned in between sobs. "It's as far away from okay as possible! Bruce is _gone, _and he's never...He's never coming back."

Speaking the words only sent another fresh wave of tears pouring forth from Dick's quickly reddening eyes. "I'm never going to see him again," he continued as Wally fruitlessly tried to comfort him. "I'm never going to get to tell him how much I love him!"

Wally had to wait as Dick's sobs only increased before he could speak again. "Bruce knew," he whispered as soon as Dick's sobs quieted down enough for him to be heard. "He knew that you loved him, just like you know he loved you."

"I didn't call him 'Dad' enough," Dick whispered back, feeling another stab of pain lacing through his chest.

Wally didn't have an answer for that, so he merely continued to hug his best friend.

Dick sobbed into Wally's shoulder for what felt like hours. Over time, his sobs slowly disappeared to be replaced with hiccuping breaths. In between each breath, Dick interchanged the words 'Bruce,' 'Dad,' and '_Tati._'

"Dick," Wally said suddenly and Dick wasn't aware of the change in tone. Wally wasn't whispering anymore. His voice was still soft, but it was also smooth and commanding. "You need to wake up."

"That's the problem," Dick returned, trying not to break down into another set of wails. "I _am _awake."

"No, you're not. You _need _to wake up."

Dick was startled enough by the words to recognize the change in Wally's voice this time. He pulled away from his best friend, nearly falling out of the bed when he was met with the sight of Martian Manhunter instead of Kid Flash. "J'onn?"

"Yes," J'onn J'onzz returned, his usually monotone voice holding a hint of relief. "This is good. You see me. Richard, none of this is real."

"This isn't a nightmare, J'onn," Dick shot back, confusion and anger at Manhunter's inability to understand mixed in his tone. "Bruce is gone," he finished, his voice cracking as another wave of sobs threatened to take over.

J'onn shook his head. "You do not understand. This is all a reality created by Scarecrow's fear toxin."

"What?" Dick asked, feeling a small surge of hope. But no, that couldn't be true. "No! No, I saw _Batman _get hit with the fear gas. Not me."

"That is what the gas made you believe. _You _were the one who inhaled the toxin. Not Batman. And now I am here to bring you back to the real world."

It was too good to be true. Dick couldn't go with Manhunter to find that this was all a dream his tortured mind had conjured up to help with his shock. He couldn't go with Manhunter and then wake up to see that Bruce really was gone. But...what could it hurt? Maybe it _was _true.

"Okay," Dick said, trying to not get his hopes up too much. "How are you going to do that?"

"Take my hand," J'onn answered, holding out a smooth green hand.

Dick took it, not even daring to breathe.

* * *

Batman paced back and forth in front of the examining table Robin was resting on. At this rate, he was going to wear a hole in the Batcave's frameworks, but he didn't care. His Little Bird needed him, and he was unable to do anything _yet again. _As J'onn stood next to the table, his hands on either side of Robin's head, Batman's mind flashed back to the events of earlier that night.

_"Robin!" he cried out in warning when he saw Scarecrow sneaking up behind his young apprentice. Batman fought through the few remaining thugs as fast as he could, but he wasn't quick enough. He was forced to watch as Scarecrow sprayed a cloud of his upgraded fear toxin in Robin's face. _

_Robin gasped and choked, stumbling back. If Batman hadn't swooped in to catch him, he would have fallen._

_"Robin," the Dark Knight repeated sharply, but the Boy Wonder was out like a light, his brow wrinkled in a frown. He most definitely wasn't having a peaceful rest._

_"How's it feel, Batman?" Scarecrow asked, having somehow gotten past Batman while he was helping Robin. "How's it feel to be helpless?"_

_Batman gently laid Robin down and whirled around to face Scarecrow, narrowing his eyes as cold wind blew all around him due to a helicopter landing on the large roof of Ace Chemicals. Scarecrow was climbing into the aircraft and Batman lifted his grappling gun, prepared to fire it at the vehicle as it began to take off._

_But he stopped when Robin began to gasp and pant behind him. Muttering a curse under his breath, Batman put his grappling gun away and hurried back to his fallen apprentice. Scarecrow would have to wait, though he didn't appreciate the villain's gloating laugh as the helicopter flew out of sight. _

_The Dark Knight carefully lifted the Boy Wonder, frowning when Robin started to mutter "Batman" and "please" over and over again. This wasn't looking good. Batman knew Scarecrow had been developing a stronger form of the fear toxin. The upgraded version was supposedly strong enough to create entire scenarios in the victim's mind. And judging by the way Robin was twitching and muttering, Batman assumed 'supposedly' meant 'assuredly.' _

_Not wasting any more time, Batman rushed Robin back to the Batcave, determined to inject his apprentice with the fear toxin antidote he had developed a long time ago. Laying the Boy Wonder on the examining table that he usually reserved for research, Batman whipped up some of the antidote and administered it._

_Only, after a few minutes of waiting, the injection didn't seem to have much effect. While the Batcomputer's readings proved that Robin's lungs were no longer in danger of giving out, the boy was still unconscious. And it seemed as if he was still experiencing the hallucinations, if his pained face was any indication. The antidote could save Robin's body, but there was no way it could save his mind._

_"Call Martian Manhunter," Batman snapped at the Batcomputer, knowing anger didn't affect the machine's functions. "J'onn, I need you to come to the Batcave. _Now. _Dick needs your help."  
_

So, that's where Batman was now. After explaining the situation to Martian Manhunter, J'onn had agreed to enter Robin's mind. The Martian had explained that the fear toxin was indeed out of the boy's system, but Robin's subconscious had a death grip on the mental side effects. He claimed that it may take a while to get to the boy due to all the emotions running around in Robin's mind.

'A while' had turned into three and a half hours, and Batman was getting restless. He needed his Little Bird back. _Now. _

Almost right after he had thought that, he heard a gasp resonate from the examining table and he quickly turned to face Robin, who was sitting up with wide, frightened but hopeful eyes.

"Dick?" Bruce questioned carefully, pushing back his cowl and rushing to the boy's side. "Are you all right?"

Dick didn't even bother to take off his own mask as he threw his arms around Bruce's neck, burying his face in his father's shoulder. He began murmuring incoherently, but Bruce could tell that the word '_Tati' _was said quite a few times.

"_Este în regulă, fiule_," Bruce murmured, knowing that speaking in Dick's native tongue had a calming effect. "_Sunt aici. E in regula_."

"You were gone!" Dick cried, his voice loud enough that Bruce could understand him this time. "You saved me and then you were gone!"

Bruce wasn't about to ask Dick to explain, but he could comprehend enough to know what had the boy so shaken. "It's okay," he repeated, holding Dick tight and swaying gently while rubbing the boy's back. "I'm not gone. I'm right here."

Dick slowly stopped trembling in Bruce's embrace and Bruce quietly mouthed a thank you to Martian Manhunter as J'onn ducked out of the cave, knowing his job was done.

"You want to know what the worst part was?" Dick whispered when he had finally regained control of himself.

Bruce didn't want to force Dick to talk about it, but he figured it was safe to ask, "What?"

"I didn't even get to tell you how much I loved you before you...died."

Bruce's heart twisted in sympathy and he tightened his embrace. "You didn't have to."

"No, but I do," Dick insisted, his own hold tightening around Bruce. "_Te iubesc, Tati_."

Really, that was one of the best things a father could hear his son say. So, Bruce had no trouble murmuring back, "I love you, too."

* * *

**Dang, that one was 5,000 words long! Don't expect them to all be like that, m'kay? XD  
**

**Anyway, translation time! Bruce said, "It's okay, son. I'm here. It's okay." And Dick, obviously, said, "I love you, Daddy."**

**Stay asterous, as always! Iron Robin out. *ninjas out***


	19. Work

**So, I know I said that you shouldn't expect 5,000+ word chapters very often, but it looks like you're getting another one, huh? I swear I didn't intend for this one to get this long. It kind of just happened. XD**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! As always, I don't own any of these characters. And I'm only saying this now because I'm bringing in a villain that I haven't used yet. Basically, if you recognize the character, I don't own them.**

* * *

Dick hadn't left Bruce's side in days. Bruce had drawn the line at skipping school, but aside from the hours spent at Gotham Academy, Dick spent most, if not all, of his time with his father. He did his homework in Bruce's office, he ate every meal around Bruce, even if that meant eating in the Batcave, and he slept in Bruce's room just about every night.

Don't get him wrong, Bruce thought it was kind of cute, but he was worried about the boy. His son didn't speak all that much, finding himself content to be silent in his father's presence. But Bruce figured all of this father-son time was resulting from the visions Dick had seen when he was under the spell of Scarecrow's fear toxin. All Bruce wanted was for Dick to feel safe again, but that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

The certainty of this fact was only proved further when Bruce woke up early one Saturday morning, attempting to keep from awakening the sleeping boy in the bed next to him.

Unfortunately, Dick wasn't usually a heavy sleeper, and the slightest jolting of the mattress had the boy sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Bruce said, pouring a soothing tone into his voice as he tried to get his son to lie back down. "I have an early emergency meeting at Wayne Tower to attend. Go back to sleep."

But Dick merely pushed aside the covers Bruce was trying to tuck around him and swung his legs over the side of the bed, getting to his feet. "I'll come with you."

Bruce resisted a sigh. "You want to come to work with me on a Saturday?"

The day of the week didn't seem to make a difference to Dick, who was making his way out of Bruce's room to head to his own room to get dressed. "Sure! I have nothing better to do."

"What about spending time with your team?" Bruce pressed, keeping Dick from leaving the room with a slight berating tone and an arched eyebrow.

Dick shrugged. "They'll be fine without me. Unless you have a mission to send us on."

Truth be told, Batman had avoided sending Robin out on missions for the past few days. He didn't think the youngest member of the team should go through harrowing situations so soon after mental trauma. Not that Bruce had told Dick any of this. In fact, he hadn't even mentioned the few missions he had sent the team on without Robin. He didn't see a need to.

"No," Bruce said with a brief shake of his head. "I don't."

"Then you don't mind me coming with you, right?"

He didn't see how he could say no with the way Dick was looking at him hopefully. "No, I don't mind. Go get dressed. We're leaving in ten minutes."

* * *

It wasn't that Dick didn't feel safe when he wasn't around Bruce. Granted, that was part of it, but it was mostly because Dick felt that if he didn't spend time with Bruce, his father would disappear like he had in Dick's nightmare. So, Dick had barely let Bruce out of his sight over the past week. He didn't want to risk losing his dad again. He had even taken to calling Bruce 'Dad' more often and judging by Bruce's expression, the man didn't mind that in the least.

After the two had arrived at Wayne Tower, Dick made sure Bruce wasn't looking as they entered the building before he tugged uncomfortably at his tie. No matter how many times he had to wear it, he would never get used to the feeling. It felt like something was trying to strangle him.

"Don't fidget," Bruce whispered down at his son, proving that he had been paying attention to Dick the whole time.

Dick fought back the embarrassed flush rising to his cheeks and dropped his hands down to his sides as fast as he could. "Sorry."

"At least wait until we're in the elevator," Bruce went on, closing one eye in the quickest of winks. If Dick hadn't been...well..._Robin, _he probably wouldn't have noticed.

Unable to hold back a smile, Dick grinned back, offering a quick, sharp salute. "Sure thing, Dad."

Once the two had stepped into the private elevator reserved for the higher up officials of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce turned to Dick. "Here's the deal. You're not going to be able to sit in on the meeting."

Dick crossed his arms, resisting the urge to mess with his tie again. "Fine, but I'm going to sit right outside. And I need something to entertain myself. You don't want me hacking into the Tower's systems like I did when I was eight."

"I still don't know how you did that," Bruce muttered, mostly to himself. A moment later, he was speaking again, but louder, as if he wanted Dick to hear him this time. "You have your cellphone?"

Dick pulled the clear glass rectangle out of his pocket, tapping it with one finger to bring the blank glass glowing to life. "Duh."

Bruce shot him a look that clearly said he didn't appreciate the 'duh,' but he didn't scold the boy. At least, he didn't berate Dick until he held out his hand for the phone.

Dick hesitated, not handing it over yet. "Sorry. I admit, that was rude, but you don't have to take my cell away."

Bruce smirked slightly. "I don't want to take it away. I want to get you a map of the Tower. That way you can take a look around and _not _spend the entire meeting sitting outside the door."

"I could've gotten a map on my own," Dick grumbled softly, but he passed his phone over.

"Let me rephrase," Bruce said without looking up from the phone as he tapped his fingers on the screen. "I want to get you a map of the Tower _without _hacking the system."

Dick couldn't help but grin at that. "Oh."

"Here," Bruce said after a few more seconds of messing with Dick's cell. "Those are all the blueprints we have on the Tower."

"Cool!" Dick exclaimed with admiration as he took his phone back and studied the map. Since Bruce hadn't established any rules yet, Dick chose not to ask.

"Be good," Bruce ordered, stepping out of the elevator when the doors dinged open. "Absolutely _no _hacking. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Dick said with a dismissive wave of his hand as the elevator doors closed again, taking Bruce out of his sight. Although, this time, Dick didn't mind that he wouldn't be around Bruce. He was too excited about exploring to care. He didn't come to Wayne Tower very often, so he hadn't physically taken a look around the entire place before.

Well, that was going to change right now. But where did he begin? So many floors, so many nooks and crannies to investigate.

"Ooh, what do we have here?" Dick murmured to himself, moving his fingers to zoom in on a certain spot on the map. The Tower had a basement that held the shut down R&amp;D department? Now why wouldn't Bruce have put something more useful down there other than a failed business venture? Maybe that was where Bruce got all of his toys. He never told Dick where the Batmobile and the Batplane and the Batboat and all the other bat-themed vehicles came from, but wouldn't a supposedly closed down R&amp;D lab be a good place to obtain all of his Batman gadgets?

"I am _so _starting down there," Dick went on, figuring it was fine to talk to himself since he was still using the private elevator. "I'll work my way up from the bottom. If I ever choose to leave the basement, that is."

When Dick attempted to press the switch that would take him to the basement, however, the keypad holding all the floor buttons blinked red at him and a computerized voice said, _"Identification, please."_

"Identification?" Dick repeated, feeling a rush of thrilled adrenaline surge through him. That almost definitely meant Bruce was hiding Batman stuff down there. "Um...Dick Grayson?"

_"Not recognized."_

"Fine. Richard Grayson, then."

_"Not recognized."_

Dick let out an exasperated sigh before trying, "Robin?"

_"Not recognized."_

Great. Now he was starting to feel a little offended. Had Bruce forgotten to establish a voice key for him, or had he just not wanted Dick to stick his nose into classified Batman information?

"Screw this. I practically _am _Batman," Dick said, glaring at the keypad, as if an imitation of a batglare could get the computer to let him in. He knew Bruce had told him not to, but...

Dick whipped out his phone again and had the keypad hacked in less than a minute. "Dick Grayson," he said again, more forcefully this time.

The keypad glowed a satisfying shade of green. _"Recognized: Dick Grayson, 03," _the voice said as the elevator began its descent.

"'Bout time," Dick mumbled, trying to stay mad but feeling a smile threatening anyway. He could hack _anything, _even Wayne tech. "Wait, zero _three_? Computer, who's the second person in your database that has access to the basement?"

_"Bruce Wayne, 02."_

Bruce was the _second_? "And the first?"

_"Lucius Fox, 01."_

Mr. Fox? The guy that had been giving him video games and various other gizmos since he was eight? Did that mean that all the things he had given Dick had been of his own invention? Dick might have been upset if that wasn't ridiculously cool. Still, though, he would have liked it if Bruce shared this stuff with him.

"Did Bruce ever mention me?"

_"My design parameters only allow me to admit people into the Research and Development department."_

"Surely you have camera footage you can share with me."

There was a pause before the computer continued. _"Mr. Wayne did mention waiting until the time was right to share this classified information with you."_

"Time was right. Sure," Dick said, his tone not really suggesting that he was upset. He decided he didn't really want to be mad at Bruce, so he cut his father some slack. Besides, Dick was finding out about these secrets now, so what did it matter? He could always be mad later, though ever since his big fight with Bruce a while back, he hadn't had the desire or strength to be angry at his father.

When the elevator doors opened in front of Dick, he took in the sight of the R&amp;D lab with a good level of both awe and admiration. This had to be the coolest basement he had ever been in, aside from the Batcave. There were various tables with multitudes of gadgets lying on them, including a new and improved utility belt.

"I knew it!" Dick crowed in triumph, walking over to one of the tables and running a finger along the belt. "Bruce _does _hide Batman gear down here."

He was about to pick up the utility belt and give it a whirl when his eyes landed on something way more interesting. It was a motorbike that looked like it was practically _made _for him. And it probably was considering it was red and black and had the Robin 'R' on the side.

"So, what makes this better than the bike I have now, Mr. Fox?" Dick mused, not wasting any time as he agilely leaped onto the seat of the motorbike. It was more comfortable than his old one. That was for sure.

He examined the control panel, both eyebrows shooting up when he spotted a 'hover' button. "No way. Okay, now I have to take it for a spin."

He knew Bruce probably didn't want him leaving the building, but what could it hurt? Bruce had never specifically told Dick to stay in the Tower anyway. So, a few minutes later, after finding a ramp out of the basement, Dick was cruising down the streets on his brand new motorbike. He had made sure that the Robin 'R' wasn't visible by covering it with his suit coat, of course. And as long as he didn't get caught speeding, the police couldn't pull him over and realize he was only thirteen.

As he pushed the bike into a faster gear, Dick threw his head back and let out a delighted cackle, the thought of his visions about Bruce and the fear toxin far from his mind. Those thoughts only got pushed farther away as he pressed the command that would but his bike in hover mode. He made sure no one was around before doing so, thankful that it was still early and no one was out at this hour on a Saturday.

"This is the best bike ever!" Dick said to himself with a grin as he peered down at the ground several yards below him. He wasn't hovering too high. He didn't want to go crashing down and hurt himself before he had more practice, but he knew the bike could go higher if he wanted it to.

Just as he was starting to really enjoy himself, several birds of different species suddenly flocked him, obscuring his vision and trying to throw him off of his vehicle.

"Hey!" Dick protested, his glee instantly turning to both frustration and fear. "Get off of me!"

He lifted one hand off of one of the handles to try and shoo the birds away from him, but it was to no avail. A crow was scratching at the hand still holding onto the bike, a hawk was on his loose arm, trying to drag him off, and an owl was perched on his shoulder, digging its talons into his skin.

"Stop it!" Dick screamed, trying his best to guide the bike back to the ground safely, but as soon as he disabled the hover mode, he lost control and went careening into a nearby alley. There was a loud crashing sound that came from the bike slamming into a dumpster. Fortunately, Dick had managed to roll off of the vehicle before it crashed. Unfortunately, he landed hard on his left arm when doing so.

"Oh, that can't be good," he moaned as he sat up and clutched his aching wrist to his chest, staring at the bike, whose front end was now crumpled beyond recognition. "Dad is going to kill me right after Mr. Fox maims me."

With a groan, Dick pushed himself to his feet, trying to ignore the pain shooting through his left wrist. He also tried to ignore the fact that that was the exact same body part he had injured in his fear-induced nightmare. He hated coincidences.

Only, it was hard to ignore the memories hurling themselves at him when he had no idea where he was and he had no way to get back to the Tower without drawing attention.

"Now what?"

"What an excellent question! And it just so happens that I have the answer."

Dick whirled around to face the new voice approaching him from the entrance to the alley. He wasn't surprised to see Oswald Cobblepot waddling toward him, the three birds that had attacked Dick perched on the man's shoulders and hat.

"Penguin," Dick greeted, narrowing his eyes in contempt. At least the bike was destroyed enough that he could no longer see the Robin 'R.' But that only meant Penguin was after Dick Grayson, not Robin, and that never turned out well.

"Now, now, there's no need for that kind of hatred, boy," Penguin returned with a slight sneer. "It's not you I want. I only need to use you for a while."

"Use me?" Dick repeated, attempting to keep a confident air about him. But the pain in his wrist and the exhaustion creeping up on him from the crash and his early start to the morning were making it hard to keep a brave face.

"Indeed. Try to relax. This is all simply business. This won't hurt a bit."

"What won't-" Dick broke off when Penguin suddenly raised his umbrella and fired something out of the tip. He felt a quick pinch in his shoulder, glanced down at the dart sticking out of his skin, and then knew no more.

* * *

Bruce was finding himself having a hard time staying awake in the board meeting. He had had several late nights recently due to Dick sleeping with him. The boy tended to kick when he didn't sleep well, which meant Bruce didn't sleep well, either. Besides, all the board was talking about were potential companies that needed buying and ways to improve Wayne Enterprises' income. Not exactly the emergency Bruce had thought it would be.

Fortunately, an hour or two after the meeting had started, Bruce's secretary poked her head in, holding a phone in her hand. Bruce was about to be relieved by the distraction until he saw the urgent look in her eyes.

"Mr. Wayne? Sorry to interrupt, but there's a man on the phone for you. He says it's important."

Bruce wordlessly held out his hand and the woman hurried over, handing him the phone as if it had burned her. He lifted it to his ear. "Bruce Wayne."

_"Brucey! Long time no see. Or long time no talk, in this case."_

Bruce's eyes narrowed much like Dick's had earlier, though he didn't know that. "Cobblepot."

_"I would have thought we would be on first name terms by now, Brucey. What's the matter?"_

"You're interrupting a meeting. What do you want?"

_"You want to get right to the point, I see. So be it. I have something I think you might be interested in." _There was a swishing sound, as if one of Penguin's signature umbrellas was being swung, and then a pained grunt. _"Go ahead and say hello to your Daddy, boy."_

Bruce's heart all but stopped beating when Dick's voice sounded through the phone's speaker. _"Dad, don't listen to him! Whatever he wants, don't give in. Don't-"_

There was another swish and a pained cry of _"Not the wrist!"_ before Penguin was on again. _"All right, that's enough."_

"Let him go, Cobblepot," Bruce snapped, making his voice cold and hard to hide the fact that he was concerned. Normally, he wouldn't be as worried. He knew Robin could take care of himself, but at the moment, Dick wasn't Robin. He _couldn't _be Robin.

_"Only if you come down here and meet me face to face, Brucey. Oh, and bring some papers that will put me in charge of Wayne Enterprises while you're at it."_

Bruce knew he couldn't do that, but he also knew he couldn't let Penguin hurt his son. "Fine. Just don't hurt him."

_"That was fast."_

"Do I have your word?"

There was the sound of a struggle, as if Dick was trying to get the phone. In the end, the boy settled with screaming, _"Dad, stop! You can't! You know what to d-"_

There was another moan and Penguin said, _"I make no promises. You'll find me at the penguin exhibit at Gotham Zoo, of course. And I suggest you make it quick before your boy does something that _really _annoys me."_

Bruce tossed the phone back to his secretary when the Penguin cut off the call and got to his feet, striding toward the door at a quick pace. The other members of the board called after him all at once, but he only answered the one question, "Where are you going?"

"To get my son back."

Easier said than done. Bruce didn't know how he would be able to break away and become Batman, but he didn't have long to figure it out.

* * *

Dick struggled against the ropes binding his hands in his lap and his ankles to the chair's legs. He was finding it impossible to get free. He was too weak from exhaustion, pain, and the cold of the penguin exhibit causing his breath to mist in the air. His wrist was the only part of him that was warm as it burned. He didn't think it was broken, but it definitely ached. Penguin slapping it with his umbrella a few minutes ago hadn't helped.

Dick wanted to punch something, only he didn't have the ability or the energy to do so. He used to get kidnapped all the time when he was little, but he had finally seemed to get past it. Until now. And all because he had disobeyed Bruce's one rule. If he hadn't hacked the elevator, he would never have found the basement or the motorbike.

After a while, he finally stopped struggling, instead allowing his head to hang low so that he was looking at his lap. And since he was Dick Grayson and not Robin, he didn't feel too bad when he whispered, "I want my dad."

He was tired, hurting, and he just wanted to go home. He may have said that last part out loud as well. Fortunately, Penguin had left him alone to go and finish the call with Bruce, so no one heard his moment of weakness.

A few minutes later, Penguin hadn't come back in yet, but Dick knew he couldn't do anything Robin-like without getting caught. All he could do was sit and wait and hope someone showed up to save him soon. If he hadn't been so exhausted and defeated, he might have been embarrassed that he couldn't get out of this.

In fact, he was so tired that he was starting to drift off sitting up when a brief, sharp poke in his knee jolted him back awake. "Ow," he said halfheartedly. The small flare of pain was nothing compared to the agony in his wrist and the dull throbbing in his head from the knockout concoction in the dart.

The source of the poke stared up at him with black eyes, cocking its head slightly.

"Oh," Dick said, feeling a slight smile grace his features despite the circumstances. "You're just a penguin. An actual one. And you're a lot cuter than the guy that named himself after you, too."

The penguin merely blinked at him and then waddled off.

Dick sighed and dropped his head again. He was so pathetic that even an animal didn't want to be around him. Only, a few minutes later, the penguin was back and dropped a couple of fish at Dick's feet.

He actually found himself laughing a bit. "Thanks, but I'm not into sushi."

The penguin just planted itself next to Dick and stayed there silently. The companionship caused tears to well up behind Dick's eyes, but he blamed that on the situation and not the fact that he was lonely and he wanted Bruce.

* * *

It had taken what felt like ages, but Bruce had finally managed to excuse himself from his overly concerned employees. It had taken a lot of convincing, but he had gotten them to avoid calling the police by claiming that the Penguin would hurt Dick if anyone but himself showed up.

So, about an hour later, Bruce was suited up as Batman and was driving the Batmobile at an ungodly speed toward the Gotham Zoo. He hoped he wasn't too late. He doubted Penguin would go as far as to kill Dick, but the villain wasn't beyond hurting the boy. He had already proved that.

When Batman arrived at the zoo, he leaped out of the Batmobile and ran as fast as he could toward the penguin exhibit. The zoo hadn't opened yet, so it wasn't hard to get there, though he had required the use of his grappling gun to get over the main gate.

"Penguin," Batman intoned, his voice gruffer than usual as he approached the villain guarding the entrance to the exhibit. "Let the boy go."

Penguin sighed and adjusted his monocle. "Brucey is such a tattletale. This wasn't the deal, Batman. Now I'll just have to kill the Grayson kid. Since you seem to be so close to Wayne, you can tell him it was your fault."

Before Penguin even had the chance to turn around and head back into the exhibit, Batman was on him, whipping out a few batarangs and hurling them at the villain.

But Penguin lifted his umbrella and batted the batarangs away, causing small explosions to break up various spots of pavement. "That's how it's going to be, huh?" he demanded, switching his umbrella to its gun mode and firing at Batman.

The Dark Knight launched into a series of backward handsprings. He wasn't quite as agile as the Boy Wonder, but he was still better than some gymnasts. So, he had no problems avoiding the gunfire, though one of the bullets ripped a slight gash in his cape.

The Penguin persisted with his shooting, but Batman grappled up to the top of a nearby refreshment stand, hiding behind the sign nailed to the edge of the roof. He needed a plan before Penguin got bored and went back inside to kill Dick.

"This is pathetic, Penguin!" Batman taunted, deciding to try Robin's technique of goading the villains. "You need Bruce Wayne's fortune and life to be successful and famous. But you do realize there's a flaw in your plan, don't you?"

Penguin actually paused in his shooting to ask, "And what's that?"

Huh. Robin's expertise was working. "You'll never be loved as much as Bruce Wayne is."

"And why's that?" Penguin asked again, though his voice was harsher and it sounded as if he was speaking through gritted teeth.

"Because you're too hideous."

That did it. Penguin let out a frustrated growl and Batman peered around the sign to see the villain charging at his hiding place, his umbrella gun firing bullets once again.

As soon as Penguin was close enough, Batman came out from behind the sign and leaped off the roof, rolling into a forward aerial somersault to avoid the bullets. He came to a light landing on his feet behind the villain and hurled another batarang. Only this time, he didn't aim for Penguin head on. He aimed for the villain's hand, effectively knocking the umbrella from Penguin's grasp.

Penguin let out a short cry of pain when he dropped the umbrella and he held his three-fingered hand to his chest. "Why, you-"

He didn't get to finish the insult as Batman took advantage of the villain's distraction to hurl a set of bolas at Penguin's feet, tying up the man's ankles and sending him falling on his back. After making sure that the Penguin was cuffed and unable to get away, Batman called the police and left the villain grumbling. He darted into the penguin exhibit to rescue Dick.

Only, as he approached the habitat, he had to pause to listen. It sounded like Dick was talking to someone. Or something?

"So, I didn't follow his one rule and hacked the elevator. I wanted to check out the basement, you know? I had never been down there before. I didn't know it existed, actually. I think Bruce gave me a more detailed map than he meant to. Anyway, I wanted to take a look and I found the jackpot! Batman gear. And of course I couldn't resist the Robin bike. It _had _been built for me, after all. So, I took it for a spin and that's when Penguin and his birds attacked me. You know the rest, I guess. But it's not my fault I disobeyed him! I mean, Bruce has to realize that I'm in my rebellious teenage years now."

Batman crept around the corner as Dick spoke, finding the boy tied to a chair and talking to a penguin sitting at his feet. The penguin stared up at Dick, its eyes wise and unblinking.

"You're a good listener, little guy," Dick went on with a small smile. "As much as I love Bruce, he's not always the best listener."

"I don't know, Dick," Batman said as he approached the boy from behind. For Dick's part, he didn't even jump. Batman could startle everyone except for his young apprentice and his butler. "I was listening the whole time you were talking to your new friend here."

Dick cringed, looking up at Batman as the Dark Knight stepped out in front of him. "You heard all of that?"

"Yes," Batman answered as he knelt next to Dick and began untying the ropes binding his ankles.

"Are you mad?" Dick asked, his voice unusually timid.

Batman merely shook his head as he moved on to untie the ropes around the boy's wrists. He didn't say it out loud, but he was too relieved that Dick was all right to be mad. He stopped quickly in the freeing of his son when Dick let out a hiss of pain, though. "Your wrist?"

"Yeah," Dick answered, his voice even quieter than before. "It's the same wrist that got hurt in my-"

He broke off when his voice cracked, but Batman was able to fill in the blanks. He wordlessly rested a comforting hand on Dick's shoulder before moving back to the ropes again. This time, he was more careful and he got the ropes off without another exclamation of pain from his son.

"Thanks, Dad," Dick whispered after he was free, rubbing his aching wrist carefully. He could now feel that it wasn't broken, but it was assuredly sprained. "I'm sorry I disobeyed you and I'm sorry I got kidnapped. I thought I was past that. I didn't mean to-"

"Dick," Batman said shortly but gently, the one word causing the boy to snap his mouth shut. "It's okay. I can scold you later. For now, let's get you home before the police get here. I'll have Alfred take a look at you."

"Okay," Dick returned with a small but genuine smile, but he made no move to get up out of the chair.

Taking notice of this, Batman's voice became gruff again, but this time it was out of concern. "Are you hurt elsewhere? Can you walk?"

"I _can. _But I was kind of hoping..." Dick trailed off, shrugging and finishing a tad sheepishly, "You would let me ride on your back? I haven't done that since I was eight."

Batman only hesitated long enough to smirk slightly before turning around. "Fine. Hop on."

Dick paused to wave goodbye to his penguin friend before effortlessly climbing onto his father's back, letting his arms drape loosely around Batman's neck and dropping his head to rest against the Dark Knight's shoulder. Even before they made it out of the penguin exhibit, he was starting to drift off. He'd been through a lot recently, so Batman couldn't blame him for being exhausted.

"I want a penguin," he said sleepily.

Batman knew Dick barely knew what he was saying and probably wouldn't remember this when he woke up. So, he had no trouble saying, "No."

"What about a dog?"

The Dark Knight paused to consider this before saying, "Maybe."

That was good enough for Dick, apparently, because Batman could tell the boy had fallen asleep because of the way he was becoming heavier, unable to support some of his own weight. But it was okay because Batman knew that if Dick was able to drift off, that meant he felt safe.

And that was all Batman really wanted; for his Robin to be safe and secure.

* * *

**Not much to say here. Just that you should all stay asterous! Seriously, you make being amazing look effortless. ;)  
**


	20. Future: Reversed

**What am I doing with my life? Yet another 5,000 word chapter! I don't know where all of these words are coming from, tbh.**

**Before you get started, I just want to clear something up about the plot in this one-shot. I've taken inspiration from the TV versions of Batman and a few things I've heard about the comics, along with some of my own ideas. None of this is completely accurate, but I hope you enjoy all the same!**

* * *

Batman and Robin glided effortlessly through the streets of Gotham, each using the grappling guns built into their gloves to their advantage. But something was off this night. The Dynamic Duo wasn't moving in sync like they usually did. In fact, they hadn't moved in perfect harmony for a while now. Sure, they worked well together (extremely well, actually), but it wasn't the same. Their movements were different. They were more fluid, even if they weren't synchronized.

Robin chose to address the noticeable difference (he had been doing this for a while now, actually) after the two had landed safely on a catwalk connecting two sky high apartments. "You're no Batman," the Boy Wonder scoffed, crossing his arms close to his chest.

"I know, I know, you've mentioned that," Batman returned with more than a hint of frustration in his tone. "I'm working on it. This costume is a lot heavier than the one I usually wear. I forgot how cumbersome capes were."

"Don't joke about this, Grayson," Robin shot back. "You're not even trying to fill Father's shoes, are you?"

Batman stiffened for a moment before answering. "Look, we've been doing this Dynamic Duo thing for three months now."

"Exactly. Which means you should be used to the Batman uniform."

"Does anyone ever really get used to being Batman, Damian?"

"Father did," Robin said, his voice almost holding sadness. A second later, the apparent misery was replaced with a sharp tone once again. "And you're not my father."

"No, but I'm as close to Bruce as you're going to get," Batman said, cringing slightly at the words.

This wasn't how he had seen this winter going. He had been innocently fighting crime in Blüdhaven as Nightwing when he got the call from Red Robin explaining that Bruce had disappeared. Tim had informed him that Bruce had been chasing a lead and the cruise ship he was investigating had sunk. Tim had then confirmed Dick's initial thought; that Bruce Wayne's body had never been found. But the man was presumed dead and he hadn't contacted the Batcave, Alfred, or any of the other members of the Bat-Family (a name that had somehow been given to Bruce and his cohorts).

And now, three months later, there was still no sign of Bruce. Dick had taken up the mantle of Batman soon after Bruce's disappearance. He hadn't really wanted to, but he knew that Gotham couldn't operate as well without the Batman. So, reluctantly, he had donned the cape and cowl.

Just as reluctant as him, though, was Damian Wayne, or Robin. He made it obvious pretty early on that he wasn't a fan of Dick. And personally, Dick wasn't a fan of Damian. Or he hadn't been to start with. (Don't tell anyone, but Dick was starting to have a soft spot for the young Wayne. He had eventually realized that Damian wasn't a complete brat. He only acted that way to hide how insecure he was. Like father, like son. And after a while, it was almost starting to seem as if Damian didn't completely hate Dick's guts. _Almost._)

Only, it was hard to remember that when Damian reminded him every night that he wasn't Batman.

"What if I don't need someone to be like Father?" Robin asked, interrupting Batman's thoughts. "What if Robin doesn't need a Batman right now?"

"You think I wanted to be Batman, Damian?" Dick snapped suddenly, actually causing Damian to take a step back in surprise. "You think I wanted to fill Bruce's shoes? I was perfectly happy being Nightwing. I was perfectly happy living outside of Bruce's overbearing shadow."

"Then why are you here," Robin demanded, his tone making the question sound more like a stated order.

Yeah, why _was _he here? When Damian said it like that, Dick couldn't help but question his decision. But the answer came almost right away, much to Dick's annoyance.

"Because we're still family," Dick answered with a sigh, glad that the shadows of the two buildings on either side of him hid his frown. "He's still my dad."

Robin was quiet after that, but the silence didn't last long. When he spoke again, his voice held a hint of genuine curiosity. "What happened between you and Father?"

"Bruce never said?"

"All he would say on the matter was that times change and people change."

Batman snorted, rolling his eyes briefly. "He _would _say that."

Robin tapped his foot impatiently when Batman didn't go on. "Well?" he scowled.

"Patience, young Padawan. You have much to learn."

"Grayson!"

Dick found himself chuckling at Damian's expression despite the tension in the air. It was like the kid's face was permanently stuck on the 'I'm in a bad mood' level.

"I want to know."

And just like that, Dick's amused smile was gone. He hadn't really told anyone what had happened between him and Bruce. Not Jason, not Tim, and not even Barbara. Why should he tell Damian?

_Because he's your partner now, _the annoying voice in his head that was his sensible side whispered. _And he's Bruce's son. His _actual _son._

"Fine," Dick said finally, prompting a small but satisfied smirk from Damian. "I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone else about this."

Damian's smirk turned into a serious frown. "You have my word."

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. "And one other thing. Try to speak like a normal ten-year-old, would you?"

Damian's frown deepened. "I happen to like the way I speak, Grayson."

"All right, okay. Never mind. Let's get this over with. Where do I start..."

"Try the beginning."

"Ha ha. Okay. Let's just say that Bruce cared a little _too _much."

* * *

_Robin clutched his side, grimacing deeply, trying to ignore the feeling of thick red blood oozing through his fingers. He had collapsed on the ground after Joker had shot him and was now attempting to keep from passing out as Batman fought off the villain. But staying conscious was extremely difficult due to the pain exploding in his side and the stars swarming his vision. He had never been shot this bad before. Sure, he'd been grazed by bullets before, but none of the ammunition had ever gone clean through him. Until now, that is.  
_

_He vaguely heard punches being thrown across the warehouse, assumably from Batman beating the living daylights out of Joker. Robin thought he heard a harshly yelled, "Don't touch him! Don't touch him ever again!" But he couldn't be sure because of the ringing in his ears. It was like he was hearing the sound of the gunshot over and over, even though the event was finished._

_Just before the pain became unbearable, Batman was at Robin's side, breathing heavily. "Robin," he said, his voice rough with raw concern. "Are you okay?"_

_"Sure...Batman," Robin panted, cringing as another wave of fresh pain rolled over him due to Batman picking him up. He may have even let out a cry of pain. In fact, he must have cried out because Batman was looking more worried by the second. But Robin couldn't fret about that anymore because the darkness had finally claimed him._

_When he came to, Robin knew he wasn't dead because he doubted death hurt this much. "Turn out the lights," he moaned as his eyes flickered open to find bright blue lights glowing softly overhead. _

_But the lights remained on as a shadowy figure obscured some of the brightness to lean over Robin. "Dick. How are you feeling?"_

_Oh. It was just Bruce. "Lousy," Dick answered with a groan, gently fingering his side. He could feel thick bandages wrapped around his abdomen. He attempted to sit up to inspect the damage, but he let out a hiss of pain when his side protested at the movement._

_"Lay still," Bruce ordered softly, carefully pushing Dick back down. "You took quite a hit."_

_"Really. Hadn't noticed," Dick quipped, allowing his eyes to close again. Those lights were going to give him a headache. _

_Thankfully, Bruce finally seemed to notice and dimmed the lights enough for Dick to open his eyes comfortably. Although, maybe he would have preferred not being able to see Bruce because now that he could see his father, he could tell that something was wrong._

_"What's up?" Dick asked with a frown. "You look tired."_

_"He hurt you," Bruce answered, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "I let him hurt you."_

_"Bruce, relax," Dick said, unable to stop his eyes from rolling briefly. This happened almost every time Dick got hurt worse than usual. Granted, he had never been hurt_ this _bad, but still. _"_Accidents happen. It was my fault, really. I didn't move fast enough."_

_"Maybe you should take a break for a while," Bruce went on as if he hadn't heard his son, turning his back to Dick as he paced._

_"A break?" Dick repeated, not liking the sound of that. "A break from what?"_

_"From being Robin."_

_"What?" This time Dick did rocket to a sitting position, barely holding back a grimace as he did so. He didn't want Bruce fussing over him any more than he already was. "You have to be joking."_

_"I don't joke, Dick," Bruce said, turning back around to face Dick with a frown. "Not about this."_

_"You can't bench me! It's not your decision anymore. I'm eighteen, Bruce. I graduated high school two months ago. I'm going to _college _soon__."_

_"Exactly. And with all the schoolwork you'll be doing, maybe hanging up the mantle of Robin is the best thing for you."_

_Dick's eyes narrowed skeptically. "You're making it sound like you want me to stop being Robin for good."_

_Bruce's silence was answer enough._

_"No way!" Dick blurted, gripping the edge of the examining table he was lying on, his knuckles turning white. "You're_ firing _me? You can't do that!"_

_"I can and I will," Bruce returned, his voice going back to its usual loudness. He was using his Batman voice, which meant he was dead serious. "You're my son and you're going to do as I say."_

_"Yeah, I'm you're son. But I'm also an adult now," Dick said, his voice lowering and becoming hard. "Which means I can make my own decisions. You want me to stop being Robin? Fine. That just means I don't have to stay in Gotham to go to college."_

_Bruce's shoulders stiffened and he bit out a single word, "What?"_

_"You heard me. The college in Blüdhaven has invited me to be a student there. They're impressed with my grades and gymnastic activities at Gotham Academy."  
_

_"But we always planned for you to attend school here in Gotham."_

_Dick's eyes narrowed even further as he got to his feet and threw on his hoodie with barely a cringe. "You've pretty much destroyed any 'we' there ever was, Bruce," he snapped. And with that, he stormed out of the Batcave and up to his room, intent on packing and heading to Blüdhaven as soon as he could._

* * *

When Dick paused in telling the story, Damian didn't even have a chance to speak up before voices were sounding in Batman's ear, courtesy of the communication link built into the cowl.

_"Seriously? You ditched Bruce because he fired you?"_

Dick resisted the urge to smack his forehead. "I forgot Red Robin was monitoring our position."

Damian smirked. "Still getting used to Batman operating with backup, I see."

_"There must have been more to it, Tim. Let Dick finish."_

"Not you, too, Oracle."

_"Sorry, Nightwing...um...Batman. The story was too good to not listen to."_

"You guys are insufferable sometimes, you know that?"

"Believe me, Grayson, all of us feel the same way about you."

_"You'll have to speak to Mr. Freeze about that burn."_

Dick's eyes widened slightly. "Red Hood? How'd you get this frequency?"

_"You gave it to me a month ago, genius. Remember? Right after I saved yours and Robin's butts when you were fighting that group of Ivy's weeds?"_

This time Damian beat Dick to the response. He crossed his arms and scowled. "We had it under control, Todd."

_"Correction. You would have had it under control if you guys would give in and use a gun."_

"My sword was being utilized just fine."

_"Yeah, but it's not so good for long range, is it?"_

"Todd, I swear, once I figure out which roof you're on, I'll come over and shove your precious _gun_ up your-"

"Okay, enough!" Dick interrupted, his voice actually sounding a lot like the Batman he was supposed to be. "If you'll all recall, we have a job to be doing. Oracle, what can you see from the satellite feed?"

_"Nothing yet. It's quiet tonight. Are you sure the Royal Flush Gang is hitting the ancient jewelry museum tonight?"_

"Positive. Tim?"

_"Yeah, they've been leaving clues at almost all the crimes they've committed over the past few months. Trust me, this is the big heist they've been planning."_

_"You've never been at any of those crimes, though, have you. How do you know what they're up to if you've never seen hard copy evidence?"_

Dick resisted a sigh. How was he the responsible, reasonable one here? Oh, right, he was the oldest. And he was the current Batman. "Jason..."

_"What? You have to admit I have a point."_

_"I have an idea! Why don't we let Dick finish his story while we wait for the RFG to make an appearance?"_

"Great idea, Gordon," Damian answered with a single, satisfied nod. "And I don't hand out compliments very often."

Everyone was silent after that and Dick saw that he was going to have to start talking to avoid any more arguing. "There's not really much more to it," Dick answered with a shrug. "I had felt myself drawing further away from Bruce over my junior and senior years at Gotham Academy. I spent a little less time as Robin, took to calling him Bruce again, and all around stopped being in his presence all the time."

_"Why? Remember, I was living with you guys before I actually became Robin and I always thought you two were super close."_

"We were, Tim. It's just..." Dick trailed off for a moment, hoping someone (like Jason) would interject and throw the conversation back off course, but he had no such luck. Damian and the comms were quiet. "Halfway through my junior year, I was starting to see that Batman's methods weren't always...humanitarian."

A snort came from Red Hood's end of the line. _"You've seen the way Bruce throws punches. He's never been completely 'humanitarian,' Dickie Bird."_

"No, I know that. But I think once I stopped being Bruce's lapdog, he started resorting back to his darker days as Batman. I remember one night when we were trying to get information out of a man who we knew was part of a crime ring. Before I could stop him, Bruce had crashed through the guy's window and threw him against the wall, demanding he tell Bruce everything he knew."

"So?" Damian asked, arching one eyebrow in the splitting image of his father. "Father has always enacted methods such as that one."

"Sure, but this time he was doing it front of the man's wife and child."

The statement was met with dead silence over the comms and even from Damian.

"I eventually had to threaten to leave to get through to Bruce. He finally realized what he was doing and had the 'courtesy' to finish the interrogation outside." Dick shook his head. "I was still Robin for a while after that, but the Dynamic Duo's...well...dynamic wasn't the same. After that, I started seeing Bruce in a new light. I started realizing that he always ordered me around and he never really listened. I saw that while he loved me, he loved the mission more. Him telling me I couldn't be Robin anymore was the last straw."

Before any of the Bat-Family could respond, Barbara was speaking over the comms. _"I hate to interrupt, but it looks like Red Robin was right. The Royal Flush Gang is moving in. Batman, do you see them?"_

Dick tapped his temple once to activate the binoculars built into the cowl's eye slits (Bruce sure had upgraded over the years). "I see them. Red Robin, Red Hood, don't move in unless I give the go ahead."

_"I make no promises," _Jason replied, the sound of a gun's safety being clicked off accompanying his voice.

Dick smirked. "Let me rephrase. Red Robin, keep an eye on Red Hood and don't move in unless I give the go ahead."

_"Hey!" _Jason protested as Tim chuckled and said, _"You got it, Batman."_

"Robin, you're with me," Dick finished, gesturing with one hand at Damian as he lifted his other fist to fire his grappling hook down at the museum's roof. "And Oracle, keep an eye on things from the Cave."

_"As always."_

"Finally," Damian said as he fired his own grappling hook. He didn't smile, but his eyes held a pleased look. "I was getting tired sitting up here listening to you complain about Father."

"Hey, you asked for the story, Little D," Dick reminded him before leaping off of his position on the apartment buildings' joint catwalk.

Robin didn't have a decent answer for that, so he merely swung off the catwalk after Batman. The Dynamic Duo soon landed with barely a sound on the roof of the museum. Batman held a finger to his lips before picking the lock on the roof access door. His silent order to stay quiet only got him a scowl from Robin. Yup. Damian was definitely Bruce's son.

The two crept down the stairs and into the main part of the museum, crouching low behind the railings surrounding the catwalk. The long platform stretched across the length of the museum's jewelry room's ceiling.

Robin jabbed Batman in the ribs with his elbow, earning a signature batglare that almost had him thinking it really was his father. Shaking off the surprise (and scolding himself for being taken off guard), he gestured with his head toward the entrance to the jewel room where the five members of the RFG were sneaking in.

Batman followed Robin's gesture, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. They were all here. The King, the Queen, Jack, Ten, and Ace. They were still wearing their skintight playing card-themed costumes, too. Dick had kind of hoped they would have ditched the look since he faced them last. Oh well. Now all the Dynamic Duo had to do was round them up. It should be easy.

Batman moved his hand in a signal that said he wanted Robin to double back and stay out of sight. Robin frowned, but nodded. Dick knew Damian wanted to be in the thick of things, but he also knew that Damian would be better placed sneaking up on the Gang while Dick distracted them.

So, Batman leaped over the edge of the railing and landed on the floor in front of the villains, flashing a grin their way. "Hi, there. It's been a while."

"Batman?" the King questioned, sounding genuinely shocked.

When he didn't move, the Queen shoved him aside and aimed her scepter at Batman. "The last time we met you broke my favorite staff," she said with a glare.

"Did I?" Batman questioned, tilting his head. Oh, right. Bruce _had _done that. "Then you won't be surprised when I do it again."

In a blink, Batman had hurled a batarang at the Queen's scepter just as she was shooting it. She got a laser beam to come out of the tip before it was knocked from her hands by the batarang. Fortunately, with his acrobatics and quick reflexes, Batman was able to launch into two backward handsprings to avoid the blast. The beam harmlessly singed a spot of carpet a good yard or two away from Batman.

The Queen was left standing stock still in surprise. "You've gotten more agile, Batman."

"And you've gotten slower, your highness," Batman mocked, bowing elaborately at the waist.

"Ace, Jack, take him down!" the Queen ordered, her voice rising in pitch as she grew more frustrated.

"That's how you're going to deal, is it?" Batman asked with a mock disappointed sigh. "Fine. Robin! Get in here, would you?"

Batman engaged Ace in battle as the large man charged at him, leaving Damian to tackle Jack from behind. Out of the corner of his eye, Batman spotted the Queen attempting to pick up the pieces of her scepter. He lost sight of her, however, when he had to bend into a one-handed cartwheel to avoid a punch from Ace.

"Wow, that would've hurt," he mused as Ace turned to him again. "Good thing you're even slower than your queen."

"I don't remember you being so chatty," Ace growled, lunging at Batman again.

"People change, Ace!" Batman returned as he backed against a wall and used it to jump up and over Ace, curling into a double somersault before landing lightly behind the man. "Get with the times."

As Batman engaged in battle again with Ace, he didn't notice the Queen repairing her scepter enough to get one last laser shot off. He didn't notice the beam arcing toward him. When Robin snapped out a warning "Batman!", he finally whirled around. Even with his fast reflexes, there was no way he would be able to dodge the beam. He didn't even have time to blink.

Just as the laser was about to hit him, however, he was shoved onto his side by a strong, familiar force. He had been pushed enough times by this person to recognize what it felt like.

Batman stared at the King incredulously as the man extracted himself from the Dark Knight's cape and got to his feet. "You're-"

"Later," the King interrupted, holding out a hand to help Batman up. That was all he said before throwing himself back into the fight. Now that his cover was blown, he had apparently decided to help the Dynamic Duo take down the rest of the Royal Flush Gang.

_"Dick? Did you see..."_

"Not now, Oracle," Batman returned, cutting Barbara off as he, too, got back into the fight. He had almost forgotten she was watching the security footage.

_"See what? What did I miss? Can I come in now?"_

_"Jason's getting restless, Dick, if you couldn't tell."_

"We're almost done here," Batman shot back, letting 'the King' handle Ace so that he could take care of the Queen. Now that it was three against three, it wasn't hard for the trio to take down the remaining members of the RFG. In fact, they had the bad guys rounded up and bound around the wrists and ankles within the next five minutes.

_"_Now _can I come in?"_

Batman stared at 'the King' as the man finished tying up the last member of the Gang before saying, "Yeah, you'd better get in here. You're going to want to see this. You, too, Red Robin. Oracle, can you shut down the security cameras? You can listen through the comms."

_"I'm on it."_

A few minutes later, Batman, Robin, Red Hood, and Red Robin stood in a square around the King, each of their arms crossed. (They had made sure to go to a more private room, of course. Secret identity problems and all that.)

"What's the big deal?" Jason asked, sounding bored. He had been rather upset when he came in to find that all the fighting had already been finished. "Why isn't King here tied up?"

Tim's arms were crossed a bit more loosely than the others as he flicked his eyes up and down to study the King, freezing when realization seemed to dawn on him. "Oh."

"Oh? Oh, what? What am I missing?"

"If you would stop pouting for a second, Todd, you would see it as well," Damian said, his tone scoffing.

"See _what_?" Jason asked again, his eyes rolling behind his mask before focusing on the King. "I don't understand what's so...Oh. Okay. I'm out."

"Jason, wait," the King stopped Red Hood in his tracks with two words. He lifted his hand to remove his own mask to reveal the face underneath.

"I knew it," Dick said with a frown worthy of the cowl he was wearing.

_"I hate to be a bother, but what the _heck _is going on?"_

"Sorry, Babs," Dick said with a slight cringe, remembering that Barbara couldn't see what was going on since she had shut down the cameras. "It's Bruce. The King is Bruce."

_"Oh..."_

"Is that all anyone can say?" Damian asked impatiently. "'Oh?'"

"Okay, how about this?" Tim spoke up, his tone holding more curiosity than anger. "Where have you been, Bruce? We were starting to think you were dead. Everyone else already does."

"Some of us were starting to be kind of glad that you were dead, too," Jason muttered, holding up his hands when Damian shot him a look. "Hey, it's the truth. In my case anyway."

Bruce surveyed Red Hood with an unreadable expression before asking, "What are you doing here? I thought..."

Jason held up a silencing hand, much like Bruce usually did. "I'm stopping you right there, old man. I'm here for my brothers. Not you. Now start talking or I start walking."

Bruce nodded slowly. "Okay. It's a long story."

"We've got a while before the police show up," Dick said, his tone unusually flat.

Bruce nodded again and then began to tell the story of what had happened to him over the past few months. He had been chasing a lead on the Royal Flush Gang; a lead that required he attend a cruise as Bruce Wayne and try to worm his way into the Gang's inner circle. He hadn't had too hard of a time getting on their good side. Being a billionaire helped.

But just as he was starting to convince them that they could trust him, the ship's engine had failed. Bruce was certain that it was a freak accident. But he was still lost at sea for several weeks, having washed up on the shore of a small, fortunately inhabitable with its berries and fish, island. It took two months for someone to find him and that someone was the Royal Flush Gang. They told him that they had lost their King in the sinking of the ship and they were looking for new leadership. They told him that they wanted Bruce to be that new leader.

Bruce had accepted immediately. He knew that when the time was right, he could stop the Gang. But he couldn't risk blowing his cover, not while he was so close to stopping the RFG once and for all. They had been slipping out of his and the police's grasp for years. He couldn't lose them now. So, in order to keep his cover from being blown, he had been unable to contact any of the Bat-Family to inform them that he was alive.

"And you were planning on stopping them here," Tim said after Bruce had finished speaking, the gears in his head almost visibly turning. "You knew one of us would show up to take down the Gang. You knew that you couldn't stop them by yourself, but with our help, you could."

"Exactly." Bruce nodded, looking rather proud of Tim for figuring it out. "Only, I wasn't expecting Batman to be here."

When he turned to Dick, Batman kept his arms crossed, frowning. "Gotham needed the Batman, Bruce. And since _you _weren't here, I figured the next logical choice was myself."

"You were right to think that," Bruce said. Just as Dick thought he was about to compliment him, Bruce said, "But I'm back now."

Dick's eyes narrowed. So much for Bruce being proud of him. "Everything goes back to normal now, huh?"

Only, everything going back to normal meant that the Bat-Family would grow apart again. They had become close over the three months Bruce had been gone. Red Hood had come back, as had Nightwing. They had each developed better relationships with the newest member as well, though getting along with Damian was still challenging at times.

And if Dick was reading the situation right, none of the others looked too happy about the concept of 'normal.' Even Damian.

"Well," Jason broke the silence, waving one hand dismissively as he turned to go again. "I'm out. For real this time."

"Where are you going?" Damian asked with a frown. He didn't sound disappointed, but Dick had spent enough time with the boy to know that Damian didn't want Jason to leave.

"Home. Call if you need me." He stared at Bruce for a moment before saying, "Although, I can't promise I'll come." And then Red Hood was gone before anyone could stop him, fading into the shadows and disappearing out of the museum and into the night.

"I'm out, too. I'll get this back to you soon," Dick said, gesturing to the Batman outfit and also turning to go.

"Grayson?" Damian questioned at the same time Tim said, "Not you, too!"

Dick turned back to face his little brothers, surprised at the sadness and desperation he could see emanating from them. Even Damian looked uncertain. Dick allowed his gaze to flick to Bruce, who was as unreadable as ever. Though, Dick thought he might have detected a sense of reluctance, as if Bruce didn't want him to go, either.

"I should really be getting back to Blüdhaven," Dick said, though his heart wasn't in the words. He couldn't be anxious to leave with the way Damian and Tim were looking at him.

"Can't you be Nightwing here? In Gotham?" Tim asked, the hopeful look in his eyes just about breaking Dick's heart. How many times had Dick himself used that look on Bruce? No wonder Bruce could never say no.

"Blüdhaven isn't too far from here," Damian put in, trying to look indifferent, but Dick could see hope in his eyes as well. "If you were needed that badly, you could return without too much trouble."

Dick glanced at Bruce again. While he knew his adoptive father would never say it, he could tell that Bruce wanted Dick to stay almost as badly as Damian and Tim did. Dick was this close to caving and the voice sounding through his comm didn't help.

_"I can monitor Blüdhaven's news channels," _Barbara said, sounding as hopeful as the boys. _"I can let you know at a moment's notice when you need to return. You know you've visibly cleaned up the streets over the past few years. Blüdhaven will be okay without you for now."  
_

The nail in the coffin (so to speak), though, was the second voice coming through his comm.

_"Heck, I might even consider sticking around if you do, Dickie Bird. We could defy the old man together."_

That did it. Dick sighed and then grinned. "You guys would make great lawyers. Okay, I'll stay."

Tim was suddenly hugging him and Damian was next to him awkwardly patting his arm, but he looked as pleased as Tim did. Barbara was gushing about being relieved and happy in his ear and he could hear Jason chuckling slightly as well.

"I'll have Alfred set up your old room," Bruce spoke up. "If you want to stay at the Manor, that is."

Dick studied him for a moment, but he was answering before he could think. "I'd like that. Thanks...Dad."

Bruce's smile spoke more than any words could ever say. It said several things at once, the most prominent one being that he was beyond glad to have his son back.

* * *

**Bruce is still Dick's Guardian Bat even when he isn't Batman. :)  
**

**Anyway, I had _loads _of fun writing this one, especially since I've gotten more into the Bat-Family recently. I chose to use Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, and Barbara because they're my favorites and the ones I know the most about. I know there are more, but I doubt I'll bring them in. **

**I labeled the chapter the way I did because I was going to wait for reader feedback on what you thought about this one-shot and if you would be interested in seeing more "Future" chapters along with "Flashback" and _Guardian Bat. _If not, if I did terrible, that's fine. XD Just let me know, okay? Please? Okay.**

**I'll be quiet now and end this Author's Note. Stay asterous! *ninjas out***


	21. Flashback: School

**I'm so glad some of you liked "Future: Reversed." That's actually really good considering I have ideas for more of those chapters in the works. ;)**

**But for now, I hope you enjoy another "Flashback" chapter. I do not own any of these characters save the return of Raymond, and the teacher, Eleanor Frasier.**

* * *

Dick rushed around his room, eagerly stuffing his backpack with everything he was going to need. While most kids would be groaning about the first day of school, Dick was beyond excited. He had never been to Gotham Academy before, or any school, for that matter. That was mostly because his parents had always homeschooled him due to the fact that they were always on the road. Traveling with Haly's Circus was super fun, but it was going to be fun to attend a public school regularly.

What was even better was that Bruce was taking him to school, and was also planning on picking him up afterward. Dick didn't get to see a whole lot of Bruce during the day, or _ever, _really. But things were going to be different today, Dick knew.

"Let's see." Dick paused in his scurrying about to do a mental checklist. "Pencils, check. Notebooks, check. Lunch money, check. Uniform jacket..." He looked down at the white button up and red tie he was wearing, noticing that the navy blazer was missing.

"Oops!" He laughed, snatching up the missing clothing from where it was draped over the end of his bed. "Can't forget that."

He slipped it on and glanced in the mirror on his bathroom door, checking to make sure that the blazer was straight. He moved his head in a satisfied nod before saying with a pleased smile, "Check."

Dick then threw his backpack over his shoulder, his smile widening. Bruce hadn't been available the day he had went school shopping, so he had gone with Wally and Barry. Fortunately for him, Barry had let him pick out whichever backpack he wanted, so Dick had chosen a black one with light blue elephants on it.

Speaking of, that was the one thing he _wasn't _looking forward to about school. Wally didn't go to Gotham Academy. Dick had been sad when he had heard the news, but he had perked up when Wally promised to come over to do homework at Wayne Manor from time to time.

"Bruce, I'm ready!" Dick called as he slid down the banister that led to the foyer, bypassing the stairs. He knew Bruce preferred that he use the stairs, but he was far too stoked to go the boring way.

He landed gracefully on his feet, barely making a sound. But his bright smile faded some when he approached the front doors and found that Alfred was standing there. Bruce was nowhere in sight, as usual.

"Master Bruce sends his apologies, Master Richard," Alfred said, his expression as calm as ever, though there was a hint of pity in his eyes. "But he cannot take you to school today."

"Did work come up," Dick asked, his deflated tone making the question sound more like a fact.

"I am afraid so. However, I would be more than willing to escort you to Gotham Academy, if you will let me."

Some of the light came back into Dick's eyes when he saw how hopeful Alfred was. He knew that the butler just wanted Dick to be happy. How could Dick say no? "I'd like that, Alfred. Thank you."

Alfred smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Very well, then."

Dick followed Alfred out to the car, the skip in his step returning a tad. "Will Bruce be able to pick me up _after _school?"

"He hopes so, sir."

Dick, being eight, took that as a yes, and his step became as lighthearted as it had been when he had first gotten up that morning. Today was going to be great. He would get to school, make loads of new friends, and then get a ride home with Bruce. He was excited once again, and he couldn't sit still on the car ride there, bouncing up and down in the backseat until Alfred asked him to stop because he was shaking the vehicle.

Once they had arrived at the front gates, Dick didn't even wait for Alfred to get out of the car and open his door. He just pushed the door open himself and hopped out of the car, bouncing on his toes as his widened eyes took in the sight of Gotham Academy. It reminded him a lot of Wayne Manor.

"Thanks for the ride, Alfred," Dick said politely, reaching back into the car and slipping his backpack over his shoulders. "I'll see you later. You're making my favorite for dinner tonight, right?"

Alfred nodded, closing the door after Dick had gotten out. "Yes. _Ciorbă de perișoare, _is it? Sour soup with meatballs?"

Dick's mouth watered just thinking about it. He doubted Alfred could make the soup as well as his mother did, but Alfred was still a pretty good cook. "Yup!"

"Then I will make sure there is a heaping serving of c_iorbă de perișoare _waiting for you, Master Richard."

"Thank you!" Dick said with a grin and a wave before trotting away from Alfred and through the gates of Gotham Academy, observing his surroundings as he went.

There were kids of all different ages, ranging from Dick's age to teenagers. Bruce had told him that Gotham Academy taught kids of all ages due to the fact that it was a prestigious school. Because of that, it didn't admit many kids. Just the really special ones, Bruce had said. Dick had taken that to mean the really rich and/or important ones.

Dick also noticed how everyone seemed to be bigger than him, even the kids that looked like they were either his age or younger. But that was okay. He was used to being smaller than everyone else.

Beginning to notice that people were moving around him and heading inside, Dick snapped out of his trance and hurried through the doors. He glanced at his hand where he had scribbled down his locker number and combination. He had tried to memorize the numbers, but he had been too excited to sit still long enough to do so.

It took a minute, but Dick finally found his locker and spun the lock open, hanging his backpack on a hook inside. He had heard that most kids his age didn't have lockers yet, but he had also heard Gotham Academy wasn't a traditional school. Still, though, he hesitated before closing the locker. He wanted to show off his new backpack, not leave it hiding in his locker.

So, he took the backpack back out, slung it over his shoulder, and closed the locker door, skipping off toward his classroom. Besides, he realized he made the right choice once he had darted into the room and saw that all the other kids had their bags with them.

Dick looked around for an empty desk and ended up choosing one next to a redheaded girl who smiled kindly at him. He slid into the seat and set his backpack at his feet, turning and flashing his own smile at her.

She spoke first, though. "Hi, I'm Barbara. Dick Grayson, right?"

Dick's eyes widened in appreciation. "Yeah! How'd you know?"

Barbara lifted a hand to cover her mouth as she giggled slightly. "Everyone knows who you are, Dick. Ever since Bruce Wayne took you in a month ago, we've known."

"Oh." Dick blushed a bit. He should have known that, too. But his blush disappeared when he asked a bit smugly, "And that makes you Barbara Gordon, right?"

It was Barbara's turn to widen her eyes, but they quickly went back to normal size when she laughed. "I guess everyone knows I'm the Commissioner's daughter, too, huh?"

Dick laughed as well. "Yeah."

Barbara's eyes flicked down to his backpack. "I like your bag."

"Thanks!" Dick glanced at her own backpack. "And I like yours."

"This old thing?" she asked, picking up her purple and black backpack. The material at the edges was starting to fray.

He nodded. "Just because it's old doesn't mean it's bad. I have a stuffed elephant named Peanut who I've had since I was five. He's super old, but he's still good."

Barbara smiled, looking reassured by this information. While most kids probably would have made fun of Dick having a stuffed animal, she didn't seem to find it funny at all. "Really?" she asked, glancing down at her backpack again. "Maybe my bag isn't so bad, then."

"Okay, class!" The young teacher clapped her hands as she strode into the room, sending the students who hadn't sat down yet scurrying to their seats. "May I have your attention, please? It's time for role call. And it's the first day, so I certainly hope everyone is here."

Some of the students laughed, and a boy that was tall enough to belong in high school spoke up. "But the people who aren't here would have no way of feeling guilty hearing you say that."

The teacher shot a look his way. "Yes, thank you, Raymond. I see you're still in my class for the second year in a row?"

Almost all of the students laughed this time as Raymond let out an indignant, "Ms. Frasier!"

Eleanor Frasier arched a delicate caramel-colored eyebrow at him, her hazel eyes holding a hint of humor. "You can't make fun of me and not expect me to tease you back, Mr. Trainor."

Raymond just huffed at that and crossed his arms, sitting back in his chair.

"Right, then." Ms. Frasier turned her gaze to the clipboard in her hands. She began calling out names, but hesitated when she came to a certain one, looking back over the class. "We have a new student this year."

The class leaned forward curiously. New students weren't a regular occurrence at Gotham Academy.

"Everyone, please welcome Richard Grayson."

Dick, not unaccustomed to attention, had no trouble smiling and waving as all eyes turned to him. "Hi, everyone!"

To his surprise, however, he received mixed signals from the others in the room. Only a couple of kids smiled at him. All the others either frowned darkly or skeptically. Dick found some of his confidence disappearing because of that. He hadn't expected to get glared at.

Fortunately, Ms. Frasier smiled at him warmly. "Welcome to my class, Mr. Grayson."

Dick managed to smile back, but his bright blue eyes were a bit duller, closer to a gray. "Thank you, Ms. Frasier."

"Now, I think we should jump right into our curriculum. If everyone would pull out their math books and turn to page three..."

Throughout the first few hours, Dick couldn't help himself. He raised his hand whenever questions were asked, and was called on pretty often. He answered all of Ms. Frasier's math, history, and English questions. Although, he occasionally got the English ones wrong. He was still learning about the English language, after all. He wasn't entirely sure how certain sentences should be constructed. Mostly, he had trouble with the prefix 'dis.'

But even when he got things wrong, the rest of the class still rolled their eyes and glared at him. They were already starting to see him as the teacher's pet. He could tell because he heard a few kids whispering those words. Eventually, he got tired of it and didn't raise his hand to answer Ms. Frasier's next math question.

"Mr. Grayson?" she asked, shocked at the lack of Dick's hand in the air. "No one else seems to know the answer. Are you sure you don't know it, either?"

Dick glanced at the chalkboard, and then took in the sight of the other students' glares before lowering his gaze to his desktop and shaking his head. Before Ms. Frasier could question him further, the bell rang.

"That's lunch," she said, moving to clean the chalkboard. "I expect you all to be back here in an hour. Try to be on time."

"Are people not usually on time after lunch?" Dick asked Barbara as the two got out of their seats and picked up their backpacks.

"She was mostly talking to Raymond Trainor," Barbara answered, falling into step with Dick as they exited the classroom. "He misbehaves. A _lot_."

"Yeah, I thought so," Dick muttered, staring at his feet as he walked so that he wouldn't have to see the looks of disgust on his classmates' faces.

Barbara noticed, and she elbowed him gently. "Ignore them. They're just jealous that you're smarter than they are."

Dick looked up at her, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "You think?"

"I _know_," she corrected with a firm nod. "Listen, my locker's on the other side of school, but I'll meet you in the cafeteria, okay? I'll save you a seat."

He perked up a bit at Barbara's reassuring words and smile, managing a slight smile of his own. "Okay."

She waved to him and started down the hall in the opposite direction, leaving Dick to walk to his own locker alone. It didn't take him long to hang his backpack up after pocketing some lunch money. He then began the walk toward the cafeteria, dodging taller students who thought they owned the hallway as he went. He doubted those taller students even saw him. For the first time, he was starting to wish he was bigger.

"Hey, Grayson!"

Dick cringed at the challenging tone in the voice as he turned to face Raymond. "Hey, Ray," he said, unable to keep himself from smiling a bit at the unintended rhyme.

But Raymond just sneered. "Was that supposed to be clever?"

"N-No."

"No, _what_?"

Dick bit his lip to keep it from trembling. He'd been bullied before, and he doubted that a person could ever get used to it. He was half expecting Raymond to reel back and punch him. After all, that's what everyone did at the...no. He told himself he wouldn't think about the place he had stayed before coming to live with Bruce. He had just hoped that school would be different. Apparently, he was wrong.

Noticing that the older boy was waiting impatiently for a response, Dick stammered, "N-No, sir?"

Raymond's eyes narrowed. "You sound uncertain."

"No, sir."

"That's better. Now, we need to talk about what you did in class."

"I...I didn't do anything wrong?"

Raymond sighed and shook his head. "There you go not sounding sure of yourself again."

Dick squirmed underneath his harsh stare. "I answered almost all the questions. What's wrong with that?"

"You make yourself look better than the rest of us. But the truth is, you're not." Raymond leaned closer, his breath warm on Dick's face, causing Dick to shrink away, pressing his back against a set of lockers. "The truth is, you're nothing but an orphan. A circus freak."

Dick's eyes shimmered with unshed tears yet again, but he swallowed back the lump in his throat. He couldn't cry in front of this bully. That would only encourage him. "I'm not...I'm not a freak."

"Aren't you? You're way too smart for a seven-year-old, and I bet you can bend your body in unnatural ways."

Unable to help himself, Dick blurted. "I'm eight."

Raymond's eyes narrowed into menacing, dark brown slits. "Correct me again, and we'll see just how many ways your body _can _bend, _charity case._"

Dick flinched at the name. That was what all of Bruce's rich friends called him behind his guardian's back.

"Now, I'm going to give you a free pass because it's only the first day of school. I'm nice like that." Raymond smirked. "But tick me off again, and I swear, I will make your life at school a living hell."

Mustering up what little courage he had left, Dick stammered, "Th-That isn't a very nice...word."

Raymond's eyes darkened to angry black pools as he lifted a hand. "Okay, forget the pass, brat. When I'm finished with you, you won't be able to tell which way is up."

"Hey!"

Dick cracked open one of the eyes he had squeezed shut, relief flowing through him when he saw Barbara marching toward them. She didn't look happy in the least.

"Get away from him, Trainor," she snapped, stepping in between the two boys to shield Dick with her body. "Unless you want to get suspended on the first day, that is. Didn't your parents threaten to take away your Game Boy if you got in trouble at school again?"

Raymond lowered his hand, clenching it into a fist and shoving it into one of his pockets. "You got lucky this time, freak. The Comish's daughter isn't always going to be around to protect you. And when that day comes, you can count on me being there."

Barbara continued to glare daggers at Raymond as he sauntered away before turning to Dick with wide, concerned eyes. "I started getting worried when you didn't show in the cafeteria."

Dick continued to lean against the lockers, hugging his stomach as it twisted and turned, pushing the tears back with all of his mental effort. "Thanks," he said shortly, forcing a smile when Barbara's concern didn't disappear.

"Come on," she said, pulling gently on his arm. "Let's go get something to eat."

Dick followed wordlessly, doubting he would feel like eating much of anything. He had skipped breakfast that morning due to how excited he was, and his stomach groaned, pleading for food. But he didn't feed it when he and Barbara arrived at the cafeteria. He merely pushed his food around on the plate, nibbling a bit here and there. It wasn't near enough to satisfy his hunger.

Barbara encouraged him to eat every few minutes, but she eventually gave up after he shook his head for the dozenth time. In fact, Dick didn't speak much for the rest of the day. For someone who had been so excited for school to start, he sure was at the opposite end of the spectrum.

He avoided everyone for the rest of the day, and even Ms. Frasier gave up on encouraging him to answer questions. Once school was over, he stood outside the front gates, hands in the pockets of his blazers. At least he had Bruce coming to give him a ride home to cheer him up.

Only, after ten minutes of waiting, there was no sign of his guardian. Barbara approached him from behind, coming up beside him and resting a hand on his arm.

"Are you sure you don't want my dad to give you a ride home?" she asked, that concerned look in her eyes returning. "I promise he won't mind."

Dick shook his head, speaking the first words he had in hours. "No. Bruce should be here any minute now."

Barbara shot him a doubtful glance, but she stopped pushing him. "Okay. See you tomorrow," she said with a wave before jogging over to her dad's waiting car. She had mentioned that her dad was a busy man, but he always made time to pick her up from school.

After ten more minutes of waiting, Dick found himself wishing Bruce was like Commissioner Gordon, because his guardian still hadn't showed up. Dick's shoulders slumped, whatever residual shred of happiness he had disappearing.

He glanced at his watch a while later and found that Bruce should have picked him up an hour ago. It was 4:30. If he left now, he could be at the Manor within the next half hour or so. It was a long walk, but he didn't want to stand here waiting anymore.

So, with a sigh much too weary for a boy of eight years, Dick started the long trek home.

About fifteen minutes into his walk, the sky opened and it started raining. The cold water droplets seeped through Dick's clothes, causing him to shiver. If he had to bet, he would say that his homework was getting soggy, too. Hot tears that contrasted the cold on his face pricked behind his eyes, but he blinked the saltwater away. He hadn't cried yet, and he wasn't going to cry now.

When he finally made it back to Wayne Manor, it was 5:30. He had walked slower because of the rain. He darted into the house, shivering from head to toe, his hair and clothes dripping water.

"Master Richard!" Alfred greeted him, an apron tied around his waist. His eyes were filled with concern, much like Barbara's had been. "Good heavens, you're soaked to the bone! Come, let's get you into some dry clothes."

A while later, Dick was in sweatpants and a t-shirt, both of which were too big for him. He hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while, being plagued by nightmares. His backpack, textbooks, and homework were all hung up to dry, and he sat at the kitchen counter, huddled on a stool, a towel wrapped around his shuddering shoulders.

"Here you are," Alfred said, setting a bowl of soup in front of Dick. "Your favorite, as I recall."

But Dick just stared unblinking at the steam rising from the bowl, not even bothering to pick up the spoon. "Where's Bruce?" he asked, his voice shaky due to his chattering teeth.

"I'm afraid I don't know, Master Richard. I thought he was picking you up from school," Alfred answered, his eyes and tone disapproving of his primary master. "But you should eat before your soup gets cold. It should warm you up as well."

Under Alfred's watchful eyes, Dick managed to eat a few bites of his soup, and it really did help to warm his freezing body. He didn't finish the meal, but he found himself eating a good half of the bowl. It really _was _his favorite dish.

Glancing at the clock on the microwave, Dick saw that it was nearing 7:00, and Bruce still wasn't home. "Can I be excused?" he asked, pushing his half eaten bowl of soup away from him.

"But I made chocolate chip cookies," Alfred said with a worried frown. "They're fresh out of the oven, just the way you like them."

"I'm not hungry anymore," Dick whispered, slipping off of his stool, landing on the tile with barely a sound. "I think I'll go to bed."

"Already?" the butler asked, blinking once in surprise. "But it's only seven o'clock."

"Yeah, but I'm tired."

Alfred pursed his lips for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Would you like me to inform you when Master Bruce comes home?"

Dick just shook his head and trudged out of the room, ignoring the feeling of Alfred's gaze on his retreating back. When he made it to his room, he didn't bother changing into his pajamas. He just climbed into bed and curled up underneath three layers of blankets, having kept the towel that was around his shoulders.

Now that he was alone and safe in his room, the tears finally came. They silently spilled out of his eyes and onto the pillows, yet through it all, he never made a sound. Not even a muffled sob.

* * *

Bruce stumbled out of the Batmobile and into the Batcave on exhausted feet, pushing back his cowl and collapsing into the Batcomputer's chair with a weary sigh. It had been a long day. He had started out that morning being called into an emergency at work. Add that to being summoned by the Justice League in the afternoon to attend to another emergency that took up the rest of the day, and you got a tired Bruce Wayne _and _a tired Batman.

"Alfred," he greeted his butler as the older man entered the Batcave. "It's been a long day. I don't suppose you would mind whipping me up some of that soothing herbal tea?"

"Actually, sir, I _do _mind."

Bruce looked up in surprise at Alfred's sharp tone. His butler was usually calm, rarely raising his voice. "Excuse me?"

"You may be an excellent Batman, but you are a sorry excuse for a guardian, Master Bruce."

His exhausted mind still couldn't quite comprehend what Alfred was talking about. "Pardon?"

"That boy needs a father figure," Alfred went on, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. "And today, all he wanted was for you to either take him to school, or pick him up at the end of the day. Was that too much to ask?"

Bruce's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what Alfred was implying, and what he had forgotten. "Dick," he said, running a hand over his face in shame. "I said I would drive him home, didn't I?"

"Yes. You did." Alfred's voice was becoming even sharper, if that was possible. "The least you could have done was call me to say that you needed me to pick up Master Richard. But you let me innocently believe that you had it covered."

"Wait." Bruce blinked once, confusion drawing his eyebrows together in a confused frown. "You're saying you didn't go get him? How did he get home?"

"He _walked__, _sir," Alfred stated, his frown deepening. "He walked home in the pouring rain. I'll be surprised if he doesn't wake up tomorrow having caught his death of cold."

Bruce sighed again, more deeply this time. He got to his feet and removed his cape, planning on changing out of his Batman gear and heading upstairs. "I'll go talk to him."

"I would not advise that."

"Why not?"

"Oh, just bloody check the time, why don't you?"

Bruce obeyed, arching one eyebrow when he saw that it was after eleven. "He's asleep by now, I guess."

"Undoubtedly. He headed to bed shortly after seven."

"What?" Bruce turned slightly widened eyes to Alfred. "Why?"

"He claimed he was tired, and rightfully so. It took him at least an hour to walk home, half of which was in the rain. I suggest you spend tomorrow making it up to him," Alfred said, his suggestion sounding more like an order.

Bruce was about to agree when he remembered something and shook his head. "I can't. I'm taking him home to get ready to head to that charity ball in Central City soon after school."

Alfred sniffed, turning to leave. "Well, then. Make sure you apologize to the boy with the first chance you get. I had to watch him be crestfallen over your absence, sir. That boy needs Bruce Wayne, not Batman."

"I'm aware of that," Bruce said, his voice hardening slightly as Alfred reiterated what he already knew. "I'll make it up to him first thing after the ball tomorrow. I promise."

"I'm not the one you need to be making promises to, Master Bruce."

Bruce watched him go before sitting back in the chair, forgoing his decision to head back upstairs for now. He needed to think about what he could do to make Dick feel better. He would make it up to his ward with, like Alfred had said, the first chance he got.

* * *

**This is going to be a two-parter! Can I get a whoop? Oh, maybe not.  
**

**Anyway, in my eyes, I see Bruce not being too great of a father, especially since he isn't a perfect one five years into Dick's future. That's why I see him forgetting Dick's first day of school as being perfectly reasonable. Just wanted to say that to make sure you don't all want to punch Bruce too hard. XD**

**Sorry for the cliffhanger, though. Stay asterous! *ninjas out***


	22. Flashback: Pneumonia

**Daaang, 7,000 words for this one? I hope you guys don't mind the length, but I'm apologizing for it anyway. I really didn't expect this one to get so long, though I suppose I've been saying that a lot recently, huh? XD**

**Anyway, the title of this one-shot is a reference to an event briefly mentioned in one of _Guardian Bat_'s past chapters. Does anyone get the reference? Let me know in your review if you do. ;)**

**But without further ado, I give you the sequel to "Flashback: School." I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Dick woke up slowly, squinting against the light filtering in through the blinds. When he had finally fallen asleep last night after hours of tossing and turning, it had been dark outside. Now, with a glance at his clock, he could see that it was definitely morning. And if he wasn't mistaken, he was going to be late for school if he didn't get up soon.

But he found that his aching body didn't want to get out of bed, and his scratchy throat and runny nose didn't help, either.

There was one thing that did urge him to get out of bed, though, and that was Bruce bursting into the room. His guardian also looked like he had only woken up recently, because Bruce was in the middle of using one hand to put a tie around his neck, while the other ran a comb through his hair. How he was able to do those two tasks with one hand each was beyond Dick, but he had learned pretty early on that Bruce was capable of doing rather impossible things.

"Come on, Dick. Time to get up," Bruce urged, leaving the comb in his tangled hair long enough to fully open the blinds.

Dick yanked his covers up over his face when more bright light struck his tired eyes. "I don't want to," he rasped out, wanting to cough but thinking better of it since that would only make his throat hurt more.

"You'll be late for school," Bruce went on, his voice becoming a little firmer. "Up and at 'em, kiddo. Let's go."

"But I don't feel good," Dick tried, peeking over his covers with narrowed eyes, mostly because his eyeballs felt too puffy to open his eyes all the way.

"It sounds like you just have a sore throat," Bruce said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he moved to begin combing his hair again.

This obviously wasn't working, so Dick attempted a different approach. "I think I might have a fever."

Bruce frowned, releasing his tie and briefly resting the back of his hand against Dick's forehead. He didn't seem to leave it there long enough to determine if Dick had a fever or not, though. "You're just a little warm."

As Bruce began to leave the room, Dick called after him in one last try to get his guardian to understand. "Where's Alfred?" he croaked, knowing that the butler would make sure Dick was able to stay home.

"He went on an early morning grocery shopping trip to beat the crowds." Bruce paused at the door and shot a commanding, but not mean, glance at Dick. "Last warning, Dick. Get up, or I'll be forced to drag you out of bed."

Dick sighed and dragged _himself _out of bed before Bruce was forced to do that. His skin felt tight and warm, so he didn't like the thought of anyone touching him. The world spun around him a little as he got to his feet, but it wasn't any worse than that slightly dizzy feeling he got after riding the carousel at the carnival. At least, he told himself that so that he wouldn't annoy Bruce further by insisting he stay home from school.

He got dressed in record time, not wanting to upset his guardian by being late, and he met Bruce downstairs in a matter of minutes.

"Remember," Bruce began as he led Dick out to the car and ushered the boy into the backseat before climbing behind the wheel and starting down the drive. "I'm picking you up at 3:45 after school. We'll come home long enough to get dressed for that charity ball and auction at Central City's art museum."

Dick wanted to groan at the thought of the busy day before him. All he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep off the icky, cold-like feeling inching its way through his body, but Bruce had assured him that both he and Dick were expected. They couldn't let anyone down, and Dick didn't really like the thought of disappointing anyone, the least of which being his guardian.

So, he managed a small nod and a, "Yes, sir."

"And listen," Bruce went on, his usually stoic expression taking on a somewhat embarrassed frown. "About yesterday? I'm sorry I forgot to pick you up."

"It's okay," Dick whispered in order to spare his raw throat. He wasn't really mad at Bruce anyway. Okay, he _had _been upset, but he had mostly been hurt by the kids at his school. Bruce forgetting to pick him up had only added a little more hurt. Besides, his guardian really did look apologetic.

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked, sounding way too skeptical for his ward's taste.

Dick frowned at that. What, did Bruce not believe him? Dick wasn't a liar.

"Sorry," his guardian said before Dick had a chance to speak, having glanced at his ward in the rear-view mirror and taking notice of the boy's frown. "Of course you're sure. How was your first day, by the way?"

Dick _really _didn't want to answer that question. While he normally would have been thrilled at Bruce's interest, today he wished Bruce would just drop the subject. The first day of school had been terrible, and he resisted a shudder at the thought of facing Raymond again today.

But he didn't say any of that. Instead, he just offered a noncommittal shrug and a, "It was okay."

Fortunately, Bruce didn't push him to elaborate, for at that moment, his guardian pulled the car up to the front gates of Gotham Academy and put the vehicle in park. He turned to face his ward and offered a small smile that didn't seem to quite reach his eyes. Dick had noticed that not many of Bruce's smiles were sincere, probably because he had forgotten _how _to smile.

"3:45," Bruce repeated, leaning across Dick's small form and opening the door. "I'll see you then."

Dick wasn't so sure. "You promise?"

Regret flashed in Bruce's eyes for a split second before his eyes were filled with their usual cool indifference once again. "I promise. Have a good day."

Dick nodded and offered a brief wave before sliding out of the car and heading toward the front doors of Gotham Academy without glancing back. He thought he had forgiven Bruce for his forgetfulness, but he still felt a little sting from his guardian's difficulty at showing emotion. Maybe that was just Bruce's nature, but for Dick, who embraced emotion, it was hard to get used to. He wondered if he ever would get used to Bruce's emotionless presence.

But he didn't really have time to think about that as he walked into his class and made his way over to the desk next to Barbara's.

She didn't even utter a hello. She merely frowned at him in a concerned way and said, "You look terrible. Everything okay?"

Oh, so Bruce, who he had been living with for a month, hadn't been able to notice how sick Dick was feeling. But Barbara, who he had met yesterday, noticed right away. Dick would have thought about how sad that was if his head hadn't have been so foggy.

"Dick?" Barbara questioned when Dick failed to answer.

He shook off the fog clouding his mind as best he could and tried to smile. "I'm fine."

"Really? Because you look like you went a round with one of Batman's villains."

"Which one?"

"Does it matter?"

Dick sighed, wishing Barbara would drop the subject. There was no way he would be able to forget how awful he was feeling if she was questioning him about his condition all the time. "I think I have a little bit of a cold. That's all."

"A little bit?" she repeated, both delicate red eyebrows shooting upward. "Dick, your eyes are puffy, your cheeks are flushed, and you sound like your throat is a garbage disposal. I think you have more than a little bit of a cold."

He shook his head. "I have to be fine. Bruce wants me to be fine."

Barbara frowned, her blue eyes becoming somewhat stormy with disapproval. "Just because _Bruce Wayne _wants you to be healthy doesn't mean you are," she said, making Bruce's name sound like some sort of swear.

Before Dick had a chance to reply, Ms. Frasier walked in and class began. He tried his best to pay attention, but he found his chin dipping low as he began to nod off. This happened several times, but he was able to stop himself when he was snapped back to attention due to his chin hitting his chest. Fortunately, Ms. Frasier didn't notice since he was in a desk closer to the back, and he was hidden by the larger kids in front of him.

Unfortunately, Barbara noticed each head bob, and she approached him about it when the lunch bell rang. "Maybe you should see the nurse."

Dick shook his head fiercely, ignoring the dizziness that accompanied the movement. "I don't need the nurse," he insisted. He had never liked receiving medical attention. He had gone through too much of it because of bruises and concussions at the...place he had stayed before Wayne Manor.

Barbara pursed her lips, but thankfully, she didn't argue. Instead, she allowed Dick to lean on her as they went to the cafeteria. On their way there, though, they were stopped by a tall, lanky form that was Raymond Trainor.

"Well, if it isn't Geeky Grayson and the Commish's _delightful _daughter," he said dryly, the word 'delightful' heavy with sarcasm.

Barbara glared daggers at him. It seemed that that was the permanent setting in her expression when around Raymond. "Back off, Trainor. Not today. Can't you see that Dick doesn't feel well?"

Raymond took in Dick's pale, somewhat shaky form. If he felt any pity, he sure didn't show it. "Whatever. You denied me something yesterday, Gordon. I came here to collect."

Before Barbara could do anything to stop him, Raymond had reeled back and landed a solid punch right on Dick's left cheekbone. The blow sent Dick spinning around, and that only added to the dizziness he was already experiencing. He landed with a none-too-graceful slap against the tile, the cool floor biting into his palms.

His ears were ringing and his cheek was throbbing, so he couldn't quite make out what Barbara was saying. But he could see through hazy vision that she had leaped onto Raymond's back, and was pounding the bully's head with her fists, her legs wrapped around his waist. Raymond was shouting something, too, and he looked as angry as Barbara, though he couldn't land a hit on her because of her position.

By the time a hall monitor approached the group, Dick's ears had stopped ringing enough that he could hear the man bark, "All right, that's enough!"

Barbara wrestled against the man's grasp as he pulled her off of Raymond, her blue eyes icy with anger. "He started it!" she insisted, glaring at the bully. "He punched Dick!"

"Yeah, but then she jumped me like some kind of crazed maniac!" Raymond shot back, rubbing a slight bump on the side of his head.

"All three of you are going to the principal's office. _Now._" The hall monitor paused to send Dick a softer gaze than he had been using on Barbara and Raymond. "You can stop by the nurse's office long enough to get an ice pack first, Mr. Grayson."

So, a few minutes later, all three students sat in the principal's office. Raymond and Barbara both had their arms crossed, both refusing to look at the other. Dick, meanwhile, sat with his feet in the chair and his knees pulled to his chest, pressing an ice pack against his bruised cheek.

"I can't believe this is happening on your second day of school," Principal Terrence Ramsey said. He didn't even look that upset, just disappointed. "Although, I suppose I can believe it in your case, Mr. Trainor."

Raymond didn't even look ashamed. He merely let out an exasperated huff, not saying a word. Although, his glare spoke numbers.

"Now, why don't one of you explain to me what happened? Richard?"

Dick shook his head wordlessly. He didn't feel like talking. He just wanted to go home and lie down.

Principal Ramsey must have seen Dick's reluctance, because he turned to Barbara. "All right. Miss Gordon, then."

Barbara launched into the story of what had happened, but Dick barely heard her. He was too focused on the world spinning around him and the pain in his swelling cheek. He didn't tune back into the conversation until the principal spoke again.

"I'm going to have to call your parents."

"No!" both Barbara and Raymond shouted in unison. They both went on to ramble about why the principal couldn't do that, but Ramsey held up a hand to silence them.

"Fighting in the halls is strictly prohibited here. I'm calling your parents."

"Okay, but leave Dick out of this!" Barbara insisted, pleading with her eyes and clasped hands. "He didn't even do anything!"

"I am aware of that, Miss Gordon. But it seems to me like Mr. Grayson would benefit from going home."

Dick felt a wave of relief rush over him at the words, and a half hour later, he sat on a bench outside the school, watching as Bruce pulled up to the curb. Dick wordlessly slid into the car, still pressing the ice pack against his cheek.

Bruce pulled away without a word, and he didn't speak for several minutes. When he did talk, his voice held barely suppressed anger. "What happened?"

Dick sure hoped that anger wasn't directed at him, so he whispered nervously, "Didn't Principal Ramsey explain?"

"He did, but I want to hear your side of the story."

"I didn't do anything, Bruce. All I did was answer Ms. Frasier's questions yesterday, and now Raymond has it out for me. Really."

"I believe you," Bruce said, his voice softer than Dick had heard it in ages. "Give me the word, and I can have Trainor taken care of."

Dick's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No! Are you crazy? That'll only make him hate me more. I know how bullies work, Bruce."

"I know," Bruce said, his soft voice holding a hint of cold fury. He didn't say anything other than that, and the rest of the car ride was tainted with silence.

When they reached the Manor, Dick hesitated before climbing out of the car. Instead, he chose to ask, "Does that mean I don't have to go to the ball?"

Bruce sighed and shook his head, glancing briefly over at his ward. "No. I've said before that everyone is expecting us."

"But my cheek looks terrible!" Dick protested, his voice cracking as it rose in pitch. He coughed once to clear the scratchiness, but that only made it worse. He decided right there and then that it would probably be best to avoid talking if he could.

"I have ways of covering that up," Bruce replied with a slight knowing smirk that Dick couldn't understand. It was as if Bruce had experience with this kind of thing.

A few hours later, after Bruce tried to convince Dick to eat before getting ready, and failing, the two were both dressed to impress and raring to go. Well, Bruce was more raring to go than Dick was. Dick still wanted to stay home, but he couldn't use the cheek excuse. Bruce hadn't been kidding when he said he had ways of covering it up. Expertly applied foundation had Dick's face looking perfect, no sign of bruising anywhere. The makeup also covered up the flushed look in Dick's cheeks.

Dick had tried to get Bruce to understand that he didn't feel well again, but Bruce had brushed him off, insisting that he take a couple of Advil and get over it. Dick assumed that Bruce didn't understand because Bruce had some sort of superpower that prevented him from ever getting sick. And Alfred still hadn't shown up to bail Dick out. Bruce had explained that a Pennyworth family emergency had come up.

Fortunately, Dick was able to doze in the car on the way to Central City. Unfortunately, he woke from his light nap feeling any worse.

"Bruce," he croaked, his voice sounding even hoarser than it had before. "Bruce, I really don't feel good."

"I know, but try to hang in there, okay? This will be over before you know it," Bruce urged as he tossed the keys to a valet and helped Dick out of the car. "Do you need some more Advil?"

It was cute how Bruce thought that pain medicine would make Dick feel all better. "No," the boy whispered with a cough, a sniff, and a shake of his head. "I'll be fine."

"Atta boy."

And really, Dick couldn't keep insisting that he felt awful. Not with the way Bruce was looking proud of him for being so strong. He couldn't let his guardian down now. Especially now that the two had walked into the art museum and almost all eyes were on them. Especially now that there was clapping going on due to the famous Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson's appearance.

Once the polite clapping had died down, Dick tugged gently on Bruce's pant leg to get his guardian's attention. "Can I sit down while you talk to your friends?"

Bruce frowned down at his ward in disapproval, but his gaze softened when he saw Dick's tired, glassy eyes. "Sure. The stairs look pretty deserted. You can sit there."

"Thank you," Dick rasped out, coughing a couple times as he pushed through the crowd, stumbling over to the stairs and all but collapsing on top of them. He was tempted to lay down there, but he didn't want to mess up his suit for fear of Bruce having a fit.

So, he chose to sit there, propping his elbows up on his knees and resting his chin in his cupped hands. He didn't know how much time had passed as he idly listened to the chattering going on around him, but he could guess it had been a while because he was starting to get more tired. In fact, he could feel his eyelids drooping, and he only avoided nodding off because of a loud sneeze that he blankly realized had come from him.

"Gesundheit," a voice said to his right, and he was so out of it that he didn't even jump.

"Thank you," he croaked, letting out a few dry coughs. Talking was getting even harder.

"Jeez, kid, you sound like you have a whole family of frogs living in your throat."

Dick only looked over at the person who he had now determined was Oliver Queen. He had almost forgotten that Bruce's friend was rich. Although, really, most of Bruce's friends were rich, so he supposed he shouldn't be surprised.

"Tough crowd, huh?" Oliver questioned at the lack of a smile or laugh. He held a look of concern similar to the one that Barbara had used that morning. If only Dick could receive that level of worry from Bruce. Then he might have been able to avoid this whole thing.

Dick's only answer was to lean against Oliver, letting out a sigh that resulted in another round of coughing.

Oliver blinked once in surprise, but he got over it quickly. If he had learned anything about Bruce's ward, it was that the boy was much more into physical contact than his guardian. So, Oliver put an arm around Dick's shoulders. Although, he reeled back upon doing so, startled.

"You're burning up!" he exclaimed, having felt how warm Dick's skin was through his suit coat.

Dick's mumbled response of "Mmhm" was the only answer he got.

"Does Bruce know you're sick?" Oliver demanded, feeling frustration and annoyance toward his fellow billionaire brewing in his blood.

"Yeah," Dick answered in a whisper. "But he said to tough it out, and then he gave me some Advil."

Oliver snorted, rising to his feet and feeling a little guilty when Dick let out a slight protesting whine upon his new pillow moving. "Well, the Advil obviously hasn't done anything to bring down your fever. You want to go home, kid? I can go find Bruce and knock some sense into him."

Dick looked up at him with glazed over, feverish eyes. That was answer enough for Oliver, who immediately set out to find the boy's guardian.

Dick, meanwhile, was extremely thankful that Oliver had come by. Maybe now he would be able to go home and sleep. That was all he really wanted to do.

He patiently sat on the steps, coughing every few minutes, and sneezing almost as often. Fortunately, he wasn't loud enough to alert any of the adults mingling nearby. Unfortunately, that meant they weren't aware of his presence. And _that _meant they were content to speak about Bruce Wayne's ward without fear of the boy overhearing.

Even through Dick's foggy mind he was able to hear them speaking. A woman nearby was saying, "I can't believe Bruce is still toting that boy around. I mean, it's been a month already."

Then came a man's voice saying, "I know. We all know Richard Grayson is nothing but a charity case who Wayne took in to look good for the tabloids."

The same woman said, "Right? Bruce's image was failing, so he took in the brat to improve the public's opinion of him. I even heard him talking earlier about how his ward can be a pain."

Dick had been hurt when they had first started speaking, but that last part hit him in the gut like a sack of bricks. Bruce thought he was a pain? Did that mean Bruce didn't want him anymore? Was Dick really just good publicity for his guardian and nothing more? That would explain Bruce's dwindling interest in Dick. After all, his guardian had started out the first few weeks by giving him most of the attention he needed, but recently, Bruce had seemed to lose interest. Maybe the man and woman had a point.

He felt hot tears prick behind his eyes for the second day in a row, and they only made his head hurt more than it already did. The tears also added to his stuffy, runny nose. He couldn't stay here anymore. He couldn't stay here and listen to those people talk about him so rudely, and he certainly couldn't stay here and become more of a pain for Bruce.

Since they were in Central City, Dick recalled that Wally lived there. He also recalled the address Wally had given him when they had first met, claiming that Dick could come over anytime he wanted. Dick figured now qualified. So, completely forgetting Oliver's mission to find Bruce, he got to his feet and pushed through the crowd to find his way to the door, bursting out into the cold night air and running down the sidewalk, his vision blurred with tears all the while.

* * *

Bruce felt bad. He really did. When Dick had first complained about not feeling well that morning, Bruce had just chalked that up to exhaustion, figuring that the boy would bounce back soon enough. And later that day, when Dick still claimed he felt sick, Bruce had figured Advil would help and his ward would be fine. After all, whenever Bruce was feeling bad, he was able to push back the pain and carry on. Sometimes he forgot that not everyone was like that.

By the time Bruce had realized how bad Dick was feeling, it was too late. They were in Central City and at the art museum. There was no going back, especially since both he and Dick were expected to make an appearance. He figured he would just duck out early and take Dick home. The boy would be fine for a couple of hours.

Only, he was proved wrong when someone laid a hand on his shoulder and whirled him around. He automatically raised his hands in a defensive stance, but he relaxed his position when he saw who it was.

"Oliver," he greeted with a brief sigh. "You can't go around scaring people like that."

"Please," Oliver scoffed, looking disgusted. "We both know you weren't scared."

Bruce smirked ever so slightly. "You're right. I wasn't."

Oliver just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, having Bruce wondering why his friend looked so ticked. He received his answer when Oliver said, "You're an unfeeling jerk, you know that?"

Bruce coolly arched one eyebrow. "I've been informed of that, yes. Is there a specific reason why you're bringing it up now?"

"Yeah. Your kid's got one heck of a cold, and he's burning up with fever. How could you not notice that?"

"He has a fever?" Bruce asked with genuine surprise. He didn't really know what having a fever looked like since he didn't get sick that often. He felt that old guilty feeling from last night and that morning creeping up on him again. "How bad?"

"I'd say it's at _least _102\. Seriously, Bruce. He looked ready to collapse. You need to take him home _now._"

One hundred and two? Even Bruce knew that was bad. His eyebrows drew together in a concerned frown, and he excused himself from the people he was talking to, falling into step with Oliver and asking his friend to take him to Dick.

Oliver gladly obliged, except he exhibited his own concerned frown as the two approached the now empty steps. "He was just here, I swear."

Bruce felt an odd squeezing sensation in his chest that he realized was dread. Being the Batman, he didn't dread things all that often, but right now, he was scared to death of Dick's disappearance. And he didn't get scared all that often, either.

"Dick?" he called, beginning to shove aside other guests as he called for his ward, ignoring their annoyed protests as he went. "Dick! Dick, are you here? Where are you? Dick!"

Oliver helped him in his search, and the two went around the room asking everyone they saw if they had seen Dick. They got a shake of the head or a 'no' from every single person in the room. It figured, since none of them looked all that worried.

"This is all my fault," Bruce muttered to himself, running an anxious hand through his hair, messing up his perfectly combed locks.

"Heck, yeah, it is," Oliver said, pure disapproval in his eyes and tone. He glanced around for a moment to see if anyone was listening before whispering, "But I won't tell the other Leaguers if you hurry up and make things right."

The other Leaguers. Of course. They had been the ones who hadn't been too sure about Bruce's custody of Dick in the first place. Bruce couldn't afford to prove them right.

"I'll fix it," Bruce said, his voice becoming firm once again. He immediately whipped out his cellphone and hit one of the numbers on his speed dial, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited.

After a few rings, a voice came on the line. _"Hello?"_

Bruce frowned in a rare moment of confusion. "Wally?"

_"Oh! Hiya, Mr. Wayne! What's up?"_

"Wally, what are you doing at your uncle's house at this hour?"

_"I'm staying at Uncle Barry's and Aunt Iris's while my parents are out of town. Why? Do you need something?"_

"Yes. I need to speak to your uncle."

_"Sorry, but he's not here. He went on a date with Aunt Iris."_

Bruce bit back a curse, knowing Barry would never forgive him for swearing in front of his nephew. He settled with a sarcastic, "Great."

_"You sound disappointed."_

"Does Barry have his cell on him?"

_"Yeah, but he and Aunt Iris are at a movie, so he won't hear it."_

"Perfect." More sarcasm.

_"Is something wrong, Mr. Wayne?"_

Bruce was about to say no and hang up when an idea came to him. He tried not to sound too eager, which wasn't all that hard. "Wally, listen to me. I need you to do something very important."

_"Um...okay."_

"Dick is missing somewhere in Central City. I need you to use your super speed to find him."

There was a beat of silence before Wally began protesting in a fast voice that Bruce almost didn't understand. Almost_. "B-But I've never been out in the field before! The most I've ever used the Speed Force for is like, track at my school! Uncle Barry said he wouldn't train me until I was older. I don't think I can-"_

"Wally," Bruce cut in, using his Batman voice since he had stepped outside to make the call. "It's imperative that you do this for me. Dick is missing, it's night, and it's cold out. He's already very sick."

There was another pause. _"Sick?"_

"Yes. I don't know how long he can survive out there," Bruce explained, keeping his voice as calm as ever, but on the inside, he was panicking. He hadn't realized how true those words were until he had spoken them out loud.

There was barely a pause this time, and the voice that answered was filled with confidence. _"Okay. It'll take me a while to search the whole city, but I'll be faster than you are." _There was a brief beat of silence before Wally's voice was fast again. _"No offense, Batman! Sorry!"_

Bruce pushed aside the insult. That was the least of his worries right now. "It's fine. Just get to work. You have a cellphone?"

_"Yes."_

"Call me when you find him. I'll be searching as well, but you'll probably find him first."

_"Probably. Should I get going, then?"_

Bruce didn't answer, instead hanging up the phone. Batman wasn't into saying goodbye.

"Need some help?" Oliver asked from behind him, likely trying to startle him. But scaring the Batman was out of the question.

"No," Bruce answered shortly, calling over a valet to retrieve his car. "Stay here. Enjoy the party."

As he drove off, his tires squealing, Oliver let out a huff of annoyance before turning and heading back into the art museum. Same old Bats.

* * *

It had taken Dick a while to find Wally's house. It should have been easy. All he had to do was follow the street signs, but the tears clouding his vision made it much more difficult to distinguish the names on said signs. Still, he eventually found the right address, though by the time he made it there, he was feeling even worse.

He had to breathe through his mouth due to his nose being too stopped up, and he knew he had ruined his suit with how many times he had to wipe his face with his sleeve. And his coughs were no longer dry. They were more wet sounding, and he would occasionally have to spit out phlegm. Along with each cough came an unbearable pain in his chest, causing his breathing to be more labored, rattling in and out of his lungs and sounding more like a locomotive than a human breathing. His skin was way too hot, and he was shivering from head to toe, his suit coat not being enough to keep him warm in the brisk night wind.

By the time he reached the front porch of Wally's house, he could barely stay on his feet. He could barely muster the strength to ring the doorbell and remain standing to wait on someone to answer the door. And after a few minutes of waiting with no answer, he only felt weaker.

"W-Wally!" he rasped, the single word ending in a wet cough and more hacking. "Wally..."

He banged on the door with all of his might, and all of his might wasn't much anyway. As he banged softly, he whispered Wally's name again before slumping against the door and sliding to the porch floor, curling into a ball to try and keep warm. But it did no good. Shivers racked his body, sending aches and pains running deep through his bones.

He didn't know how long he sat there, sneezing and coughing and growing colder by the second. In fact, he hadn't really been able to tell the passing time at all today. All he knew was that he was freezing and he was exhausted, his eyelids drooping as he fought off sleep. He thought he remembered that you were supposed to avoid sleeping when you were this cold, but at this point, he didn't really care.

The only thing that kept him from drifting off was a sudden shaking of his shoulder.

"Stop," he moaned through cracked lips, his puffy eyes having a hard time focusing on the small figure bending over him.

"Dick, it's me!" the figure said, its voice filled with worry. "It's Wally."

Dick was able to open his eyes at that, taking in the very welcome sight of his best friend. "W-Wally?" he stammered through chattering teeth.

"Yeah! Bruce sent me."

"B-B-Bruce?" But that meant Bruce really did care about him, right? He sure hoped so, but he didn't know if it was wise to get his hopes up.

"Yeah. Bruce. Listen, I'm going to call him, and he'll be here in no time. Try to stay awake, okay?"

Dick nodded ever so slightly, the movement small enough to be undetectable. He absently noticed how terrified Wally looked and sounded, all the while trying to seem brave. It had Dick wondering how bad his condition really was.

After Wally had finished the call, he gathered Dick up in his arms, and Dick foggily thought that Wally was a lot bigger than he was, and he was pretty sure Wally wasn't that big in the first place.

Wally rubbed his arms and chest, trying to get Dick warm as he chatted on and on about things that Dick barely heard due to his clouded mind and endless coughing. Wally was probably just trying to keep the smaller boy awake.

Dick still didn't know how much time had passed when Bruce was suddenly there, picking Dick up gently and encompassing him in a pleasantly warm embrace. Dick didn't know for sure, but it almost sounded like Bruce was muttering, "I'm sorry. I'm here now. I'm so sorry. You're going to be okay. You're going to be just fine." Although, that last part sounded desperate, as if Bruce wasn't too sure of that himself.

This went on for a while with many more sorry's to come as Dick felt himself being laid down in the back of the car, Bruce's suit coat being taken off and thrown over him, tucked under his chin. He curled into a ball, shivering uncontrollably, his breathing still having that strange locomotive sound.

Whenever he moaned, Bruce would reach one hand back and stroke his hair, a feeling that would instantly calm Dick down. In fact, the third time Bruce did that, Dick allowed the darkness to finally claim him, feeling completely safe in his guardian's presence.

* * *

Bruce sat in a chair at his ward's bedside, his fingers pressed together in a pyramid, the tip of which rested underneath his nose as he leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees.

How could he have been so blind? How could he have been so foolish? How could he have been so...so..._stupid? _He had been so caught up in his own life that he had neglected Dick so badly that the boy had gotten sick, almost to the point of being on the verge of dying.

As soon as he got Dick home, he had frantically called Alfred, his voice uncharacteristically panicked and high-pitched. He had explained everything, and Alfred had walked him through treating Dick's growing case of pneumonia. Alfred had told him that it sounded like he had found the boy just in time. Much longer in the cold, and Dick likely would have needed to be taken to the hospital.

Now, after forcing his unconscious ward to swallow some medicine, and periodically coaxing sips of water down his throat, Bruce had safely gotten Dick out of the danger of being hospitalized. All he had to do now was wait for the boy to wake up, hoping that Dick wouldn't hate him. Though, Bruce wouldn't blame him if he did.

He was rewarded with his hours of patience when Dick's eyes flickered open, the blues of his irises closer to the gray side.

Dick's eyes held confusion for a few seconds, as if he wasn't sure where he was. But then his gaze flicked over to Bruce, and recognition and relief filled his eyes. "Hi," he croaked, his voice hoarse, a few coughs accompanying the one word. After he had calmed down, he asked, "Where's Wally?"

Bruce helped the boy get another drink of water before he spoke. "I sent him home. You can call him tomorrow. How are you feeling?"

"Lousy," Dick answered, the weakness in his voice sending a pang right through Bruce's chest. But the boy attempted a slight smile. "But I'll manage."

Bruce smiled back, though it slowly faded as he cautiously reached out to run his hand through his ward's mussed up ebony hair. "I'm so sorry that I didn't realize how sick you were earlier. If I had..." he trailed off, shaking his head in shame.

Dick licked his dry lips, and Bruce was startled to see tears shimmering in the boy's eyes. "I thought that you didn't care. You...You're so busy all of the time, and I was starting to think that you only took me in to...to look good for the press."

Bruce's eyes widened slightly at what his ward was saying, and for once in his life, he was at a loss for words. How could he have not seen this? He had gotten so busy being Batman over the past couple of weeks that he hadn't been home much. Crime rate had gone up all over the United States, and even over seas. Some of that crime required Justice League assistance, and since Dick didn't know he was Batman, Bruce couldn't tell him what he was doing. Now, because of his apparent neglect, Dick had begun to think that Bruce didn't care, when the truth was the exact opposite.

"Oh, Dick, I..." Bruce shook his head again, continuing to methodically stroke his ward's hair as the action seemed to help. "I'm sorry that I let you believe that. I don't-"

"And...then some lady at the party said that she had heard you say I was a pain," Dick went on, the tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes and trickling down into his ears.

Bruce was taken aback once again, and he pulled his hand away in surprise. "What?"

"Is it true?"

"Where did you hear-"

"Is it _true_?" Dick repeated, firmer this time. Although, his attempt to be commanding was destroyed by another round of coughing.

After Bruce had helped him get yet another drink, he said, "Yes, but she didn't finish my statement, did she?"

Dick shook his head slightly, looking both hurt and confused at the same time.

"What I _said _was that you can be a pain sometimes, but that's only because I'm terrible at this father thing. It's all on me, Dick. Not you. What I actually said was that while you can be a pain, I wouldn't trade having you as my ward for the world."

The hurt look in Dick's eyes abruptly faded away to be replaced with a hopeful look that just about broke Bruce's heart, not that he would admit it. "You did? You said that? And you meant it?"

Bruce held up his right hand, placing his left over his chest. "I meant every word."

Faster than Bruce could blink, Dick had shot to a seated position, lunging at Bruce and throwing his arms around his guardian's neck. Fortunately, Bruce's chair was close enough to the bed that the boy didn't hurt himself.

Bruce only hesitated in the slightest at the unfamiliar physical contact before he accepted it, even pulling his ward into his lap and hugging the boy just as tightly back.

"I'm so sorry," he repeated for perhaps the dozenth time, but he felt like he couldn't say it enough. "Can you ever forgive me?"

This time, there was only the briefest of hesitations from Dick before the boy whispered back, "I forgive you, Bruce. Thanks for rescuing me."

"Always, Dick. Always."

And the two of them sat with Dick in Bruce's lap, both of their arms wrapped around each other, for the longest time.

* * *

**It's like, past midnight where I am, so I can't write a comprehensive Author's Not here. Just...stay asterous. *tiredly ninjas out*  
**


	23. Countdown

**I know it hasn't been long since I updated, but I wanted to get one last chapter posted before I go on a four day road trip with no Internet access.**

* * *

"Are we sure this is the best idea?"

Robin sighed, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. That had to be the sixth time Miss Martian had asked that question. And yet, he gave her the same answer every time. "I'm positive, Miss M. Relax."

M'gann shifted in the pilot's seat of her Bio-Ship, her expression and body language radiating pure uncertainty. "But Batman told us to lay low until he got back."

It was true. Batman had left to attend to some sort of League emergency, and his final order had been for the team to avoid going on missions until he returned to coordinate them. But the mission alert originating in the nation of Bialya had been too tempting to pass up. Count Vertigo had been sighted there coming in and out of a small compound smack dab in the middle of nowhere (don't ask Robin how someone had spotted the villain in the first place, because that would probably leave the Boy Wonder figuring out that it could have been a trap). The compound was suspicious enough, but the fact that the Count was there as well only doubled the strange factor. What he was doing on Queen Bee's turf was beyond Robin, but he wanted to find out.

"Batman doesn't know what he's talking about."

The other three occupants of the Bio-Ship stared at Robin, openly gaping (Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Superboy were the only other team members available, but Robin figured they could handle this without Aqualad and Artemis). No one, not even his protégé, could possibly get away with claiming that Batman was anything but right.

"Rob!" Wally whispered, as if he was afraid the big bad Bat could hear them even now. "Are you crazy? Batman _always _knows what he's talking about. He's _Batman._"

Robin rolled his eyes beneath his mask, letting out a single exasperated puff of air that stirred his growing bangs (he probably needed a haircut, but Bruce would have to twist his arm to convince him to get one). "Look, I'm the leader whenever Aqualad isn't around, right?"

When he didn't get an affirmative answer, he glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at his way too quiet teammates. "Right?"

The batglare he was sending their way was just as effective as when Batman used it, so the others nodded vigorously. Well, Miss Martian and Kid Flash nodded. Superboy just frowned, but he didn't voice a word of protest.

"Okay." Robin barely kept himself from smiling smugly. He knew he was probably coming off as being a jerk, but he had been so bored lately what with Batman not sending him on missions (yeah, he had found out about that little secret. Needless to say, he hadn't been too happy with Bruce). His people skills probably needed some brushing up due to the lack of missions as well. "We'll start out by doing reconnaissance. See what Count Vertigo's up to. Only then can we come up with a full plan."

"Recon?" Wally echoed, sighing dramatically and propping one elbow on the dashboard in front of him, resting his chin in his hand. "I thought we were going to do something fun."

Robin arched one eyebrow, not looking amused (he wasn't even purposely channeling Batman, but he seemed to become more like his mentor when he was in charge). "Does that mean you don't want to take a look around?"

"I never said that," Kid Flash answered quickly, sitting up straight and holding up his hand in a placating manner. To prove his point, he tapped the lightning bolt symbol on his chest, and the yellow of his uniform faded to black. "See? I'm in stealth mode and everything."

Robin smirked, some amusement finally melting his cool demeanor. "Good. Superboy, you're with us, too. Miss Martian? You stay in the Bio-Ship. Keep it cloaked. Be ready to pull us out of there at a moment's notice. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads and Robin nodded in appreciation, turning his gaze back out toward the ground below them. The compound really was small, maybe half the size of Wayne Manor (though, considering how large the Manor was, the compound could still potentially be seen as big). It reminded Robin of all the old warehouses at the outskirts of Gotham, and he had spent enough time inside of those to know he didn't like warehouses. What was with those buildings and villains taking their kidnapped victims there?

"What do you think they're doing down there?" M'gann asked, curiosity and a hint of nervousness in her tone.

"I don't know," Conner answered, cracking his knuckles. "Why don't we go find out?"

"Reconnaissance, Superboy," Robin reminded, unbuckling himself from his seat and making sure his utility belt was secure and ready to go.

Conner frowned, but nodded. Robin knew he preferred to settle things with his strength, but sometimes stealth was the only answer. At least Conner could listen to orders when he needed to.

"I'm in position," M'gann said, moving the Bio-Ship to hover a safe distance away from the compound. "Be careful."

"A kiss good luck couldn't hurt," Wally said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Robin rolled his eyes again and grabbed Kid Flash's arm, yanking him away from Miss Martian. "Now really isn't the time, KF."

"You always spoil my fun," Wally mumbled, but he made no further comment as he dropped through the hole M'gann had created in the floor of the Ship.

"I meant it," M'gann said after Wally had left, though her gaze was more on Superboy than it was on Robin. "Be careful."

Conner's usually fierce gaze softened as he nodded at M'gann. He briefly rested a hand on her shoulder before following Wally through the hole and to the ground.

"We'll be back before you know it," Robin reassured with a bright smile. "You'll see."

He was glad that Miss Martian looked a little less worried as he dropped through the hole and landed on the ground below without a sound.

"I still don't understand how you do that," Kid Flash muttered to him, looking slightly jealous.

Robin flashed a grin. "Ninja," he whispered back, causing Wally to snort.

_Miss Martian? _he queried mentally, glancing back up toward where he knew the cloaked Bio-Ship was. _How about that link?_

There was barely a second of silence before she was answering in Robin's mind, _"Link established."_

_Great. I'll take the north side of the compound. Superboy, you take the west. Kid Flash, that leaves you with the east and the south._

_"I'm on it. And I bet I'll be faster than you guys even though you gave me more ground to cover." _Even as Kid Flash was speaking, he was darting off into the distance, stirring up dust as he went.

One side of Robin's mouth quirked upward in a half smile. _I don't doubt it._

_"Hmph," _Superboy grunted in annoyance. _"Show off."_

_Is KF ever anything but?_

The two boys chuckled before setting off in separate directions to begin recon. Robin crept along, keeping low to the ground as his boots made no sound on the terrain below him. He didn't even need a stealth version of his costume. He was stealthy enough on his own. And fortunately, his mask had a night vision mode, so he had no trouble seeing where he was going. All thoughts of how upset Batman would be with him when they got back flew from his mind as he focused solely on the mission.

_"South entrance only has a few guards, but they've got some big guns. East entrance is slightly more crowded."_

_"I can count half a dozen men guarding the west side. Are you sure I can't go in, Robin?"_

_Affirmative. Stay out of sight until I can get a look at the north entrance, _Robin answered, peeking around the corner of the compound to find the largest group of guards yet. There had to be at least a dozen, if not more.

_"What's it look like, Rob?"_

_Bad. Whatever's hidden in this section of the building has to be important._

_"It's too bad Supey doesn't have x-ray vision."_

_"Thanks, Kid Flash..."_

_Don't worry about it, _Robin interrupted before the other two boys could start arguing. He dug a compact set of of binoculars out of his utility belt and pointed them at the wall next to him.

There was a brief gust of air and Kid Flash was standing behind him. _"Um, no offense, dude, but if you think you can see through walls with a pair of binoculars, you _might _want to consider visiting Arkham."_

Robin didn't justify that with an answer. He simply flicked a switch on the side of the binoculars, turning their ordinary lenses into x-rays. It didn't take him long to determine what was going on inside, and he pocketed the binoculars.

_"See anything of importance? Maybe the concrete has flecks of gold in it."_

_There are fewer guards inside than outside, but there are several scientists. They look like they're working on some sort of bomb._

Wally blinked once in surprise. _"X-ray binoculars?"_

Robin's only answer was a smirk that caused Kid Flash to smack his forehead and mentally call himself an idiot.

_"A bomb?" _Miss Martian spoke up, breaking her silence. _"Okay. Everyone come back to the Ship and we can contact the League."_

_"Or we can stop it, taking out the bad guys in the process," _Superboy suggested, sounding eager for a fight.

_That isn't a bad idea._

_"What?!" _all three of Robin's fellow teammates cried out in surprise. Miss Martian sounded shocked, Kid Flash sounded confused, and Superboy sounded perplexed as well, as if he hadn't expected their leader to agree with him.

_If it really is a bomb, we don't have time to wait for the League. For all we know, it could go off at any second._

_"But...but it's a _bomb!_" _M'gann stammered.

_I'm aware of that, _Robin returned somewhat dryly, unaware of how much he sounded like Batman at that moment. _And that's exactly why I think we should go in._

_"I'm game,"_ Wally spoke up, beginning to sound as eager as Conner had. _"But, uh, you didn't see Count Vertigo in there, did you, Rob? Because I don't really want to face that guy."_

_I didn't see anyone except the guards and the scientists._

_"What are we thinking? Trap?"_ Conner asked, sounding the tiniest bit uncertain.

_"I really think we should call the League."_

_"Relax, Megalicious. If Robin thinks we can do it, we can do it."_

_It's settled, then._ Robin rose from his crouched position, taking out a couple of his birdarangs and holding them at the ready in the palms of his hand. _Superboy, come meet us at the north entrance. We'll go in from there._

_"Wouldn't it be smarter to enter at a less crowded side of the building?"_

_Usually, yes, but I don't want to risk running into even more guards on our way across the compound. It'll be easier to blast through here and be exactly where we want to be._

_"Be careful," _M'gann cautioned for perhaps the two-hundredth time, or maybe Robin just felt like she had warned them to be careful a lot.

As soon as Superboy had joined him and Kid Flash, the three leaped into action. Robin hurled his birdarangs, taking out two guards with slices to the neck that didn't kill them, but the pain sent them to their knees. While they were downed, the Boy Wonder darted over to them, pulling out his dual staffs. He knocked both guards out at the same time with one metallic clang to their heads with each staff.

Superboy leaped into the middle of three guards, not even seeming to feel it when they fired their guns at him. He barely even flinched when the laser-like beams of light singed his clothes. He just smiled when the guards' eyes widened in surprise, and he punched each one in the jaw, knocking them out cold.

Kid Flash used his super speed to dart in between three more guards. "I'm here! No, wait, I'm there," he taunted, causing each guard to spin dizzily in an attempt to spot him. When they finally stopped spinning, they could barely stay on their feet. Kid Flash used this opportunity to trip them up, and when they fell, they stayed on the ground.

_"That's eight down," _Conner said, dusting his hands off on his jeans.

_"Which leaves four more. I can take two if you and Rob will-"_

Wally didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Robin dug a couple of spherical gas grenades out of his belt. The Boy Wonder threw them at the feet of the remaining guards, encompassing them in purplish smoke. The sound of coughing and hacking came from the cloud of gas, and when the fog dispersed, the last four guards were lying on the ground, out cold.

_"Huh. Okay, never mind."_

Conner stepped over the unconscious guards and examined the north entrance door, frowning at what he saw. _"It's locked. Electronically, too. I guess I could try punching it."_

_That won't be necessary,_ Robin said, pulling up the holographic computer embedded in his left glove. Within a few seconds, he had the lock hacked and the door open.

_"And you accuse _me _of being a show off," _Kid Flash huffed, though he sounded more proud of Robin's abilities than upset.

_Stay sharp, _Robin warned, not bothering to engage in Wally's banter. _I doubt the scientists have much combat experience, but you never know._

_"It doesn't look like we'll have to worry about that," _Superboy cut in, pointing at the empty room in front of him.

_"Rob, I thought you said this room was full of people."_

_It was just a minute ago! _Robin protested, not wanting to look incompetent. _Maybe they heard us fighting outside and ran for cover._

_"I don't know. This reeks of a trap to me," _Conner said with a frown as he cautiously approached the bomb. A moment later, his eyes had widened and he was saying, _"We have a problem. I think I know why everyone disappeared."_

_"Why?"_ Wally asked as he darted over to Conner.

_"They were evacuating. Someone set off the bomb's timer."_

Robin's stomach dropped, his heart clenching with dread as he, too, joined the others at the bomb. _How long do we have?_

_"Ten minutes."_

Robin hissed a curse under his breath that would have had Alfred washing his mouth out with soap. Ten minutes to disarm a bomb? Give him twenty and he'd have it done easy. He didn't even know what kind of bomb this was. But he carefully kept those thoughts hidden from the others, utilizing Batman's many months of mental training. Batman wasn't too keen on others hearing his thoughts, either.

_"Rob? Can you disable it?"_

Instead of telling them the truth, Robin pulled a few tools out of his belt and opened the bomb's control panel, going straight to work on identifying the device. It didn't take long for him to determine what kind of bomb it was, and the discovery had him uttering another curse.

_"Uh oh. It must be bad."_

_"...because?"_

_"Because Rob doesn't curse unless the situation is unbelievably crappy."_

_Unbelievably crappy is a pretty accurate description at this point, _Robin agreed, glad that he didn't have to physically speak since his jaws were clenched together in a deep frown.

_"Does that mean you can't disable it?" _Superboy asked, his frown mirroring Robin's.

_If it were a normal bomb, I could. But this is a bio-bomb. You have to be extra careful with those, and I don't have time to be careful._

_"A bio-bomb?"_ Kid Flash repeated, his scientific mind easily comprehending how bad this was. _"But that means-"_

_Yeah. That means it'll wipe out all organic material in the immediate vicinity._

_"How big is its radius?"_

_Not very. It looks like they weren't finished building it. It should only wipe out all life within the compound and about a hundred feet around it._

_"That seems pretty anticlimactic. We could just leave right now and not worry about it."_

_But there could still be people in the building, KF!_

_"So?"_ This time it was Conner that spoke. _"Leave them. They're bad guys."_

_We're not killers,_ Robin shot back, Batman's one rule ingrained deep in his conscience. _We need to search the compound. Make sure everyone gets out safely._

_"You guys need to get out of there right now!"_ Miss Martian spoke suddenly, her voice rising in pitch as it grew more panicked.

_"Relax, Megalicious. We've got seven minutes left. Plenty of time for us to search the facility and get everyone-"_

Kid Flash was broken off once again, only this time, it wasn't because of Robin. It was because of an unbelievable sense of dizziness that suddenly washed over all three heroes, causing them to cry out and fall to their knees.

"I see our little operation was grand enough to attract the attention of the Young Justice team. It's a good thing you're not the Justice League, or I might actually be worried right now."

Robin fought the nausea bubbling in his stomach, raising his head enough to glare at their attacker. "Count Vertigo."

"Yes, yes, it is I," the Count waved a hand dismissively as the device on his forehead continued to send dizzying waves crashing over the heroes. "I don't suppose Green Arrow's newest pathetic excuse for a sidekick is with you?"

"You're out of luck...Vertigo..." Kid Flash bit out, smiling through the pain. "She couldn't make it."

"Such a pity. I suppose I'll have to settle with eliminating the three of you."

"You set off the bomb even though it wasn't finished," Conner said, his voice slightly less strained than Wally's. "All to get rid of us."

"It's disappointing that we have to destroy our work, yes, but it will be easy enough to begin constructing another bomb."

"Why team up with Queen Bee?" Robin asked, knowing that that was the only way Count Vertigo would have been able to cross Bialyan borders.

"We discovered that our nations can benefit from the other's involvement," the Count explained. Robin had hoped that he would lower his guard and lighten up on the dizzying waves, but there was no such luck yet. "She gives me the resources for my bio-bomb, and I let her buy a few from me once I'm finished."

"Why build...the bomb...in the first place?" Wally stammered, his arms shaking as he tried to push himself up (he was failing).

"For one thing, the bomb is an effective way to ensure my leadership in less...cooperative countries. For another, it's going to be quite beneficial in taking down the three of you, don't you think?"

Count Vertigo obviously wasn't going to let up, and it looked like they only had a few minutes left on the bomb. Robin tried one last time to get the villain to reduce the vertigo effect. "You can't do two things at once!" he taunted, trying to dig his hand into his utility belt. He had been attempting to retrieve the special earplugs he kept in there, but he was seeing double. "You can't keep incapacitating us and still expect to escape."

But the Count merely smiled smugly. "Then it's a good thing I built my device to still operate even when it isn't on my head," he said, removing the dizzying headgear and placing it on the floor in front of the three heroes, effectively keeping them all unable to move.

"And don't try to destroy it," he went on, even as Robin attempted to grab a few grenades to do that very thing. "It's linked to the bomb. The second you destroy the gear, the bomb will go off."

Robin uttered one last curse as Count Vertigo chuckled and made his escape. How had everything gone so bad so quickly? All he had wanted was to go on an easy mission to dissolve his boredom! Now, he, Kid Flash, and Superboy were going to die. Unless...

Robin finally managed to remove the earplugs from his belt, quickly slipping them into his ears. The dizzying effect immediately ceased, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He would have to remember to thank Batman later (for Batman had invented the plugs soon after their first encounter with the Count). If only he had more than one pair.

But he could improvise. He scooped up the device and glanced around the room, looking for a good place to hide it. He settled on a scientist's desk, shoving it into a drawer. Once it was hidden, Kid Flash and Superboy were able to stagger to their feet.

"Ugh, I don't feel so good," Wally said aloud, hugging his stomach. "I really hate that guy."

"How long do we have?" Conner asked Robin, who had moved back toward the bomb.

"Not long enough," Robin answered, beginning to fiddle with the bomb. "You two get out of here while I finish disabling it."

"What?" Wally asked, his eyes widening. "Are you insane? We're not leaving you!"

"Check the compound to make sure everyone got out," Robin said, hardening his voice when Wally started to protest again. "That's an _order._"

He sounded so much like the Batman right then that Kid Flash and Superboy found that they couldn't protest any further, instead following Robin's orders and evacuating the rest of the building.

_"Everyone's out, Robin!" _M'gann said over their telepathic link a minute later. _"Get out!"_

_I'm almost done,_ Robin lied as he continued to fiddle with the bomb. The countdown timer was ticking down into ever smaller digits, but he couldn't leave. A plan had formed in his mind. A plan that he had carefully hidden from the others. If it was going to work, he couldn't let them know about it.

So, he watched as the timer continued to count down, his fingers flying over the bomb's wiring.

_10..._

_"Rob!"_

_9..._

_"Robin, please!"_

_8..._

_"I'm going in after him."_

_7..._

_"Conner, no! You'll get yourself killed!"_

_6..._

_"Robin will die if I don't go back."_

_5..._

_Superboy, stay put. I've almost got it._

_4..._

_"Rob, listen to the others. Get out of there!"_

_3..._

Robin continued to ignore his teammates' protests as he stopped messing with the bomb.

_2..._

He dove under the desk and yanked his cape up to cover his entire body, not an inch of skin or hair exposed anywhere.

_1..._

There was a loud booming sound as the bomb exploded, and heat shot through Robin's very bones. Heat so intense that he felt darkness closing in around him. But he accepted the darkness and used it. His last coherent thought was full of apologetic sadness toward his friends.

* * *

**I know that you're thinking. _Another _two-parter? Sorry, but I don't think everything I want to write will be able to fit in one chapter without getting super long. "Flashback: Pneumonia" was long enough, don't you think? **

**I doubt I'll have time to get the second part finished before my trip, so you'll have to wait till next week. Keep an eye out for "Gone 2" (it's a working title).  
**

**Until then. *does two-fingered salute* Stay asterous! *ninjas out***


	24. Countdown, Pt 2

**Tayashia mentioned including a summary about the last chapter, which I think is a good idea considering it's been a while since I've updated.**

**So, the last chapter was called "Countdown," and in it, Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, and Miss Martian went on an unauthorized mission to Bialya in order to investigate a secluded compound where Count Vertigo had been spotted several times. They discovered he was building a bio-bomb that could kill any organic material. They went in to try and put a stop to it, but Vertigo confronted them. He set off the bomb to kill the heroes before fleeing the scene. Robin then began working on disabling the bomb, sending Kid Flash and Superboy out to meet Miss Martian, who was waiting in her Bio-Ship. Robin didn't make it out in time, and he got caught in the blast. **

**Does that make sense? Is the chapter coming back to your memory now? Cool. Enjoy Part 2. :)**

**Oh, and long periods of italics are flashbacks.**

* * *

It had been a month since Robin had died.

Artemis was still feeling the empty spot on the team that their youngest member had left. Gone were the wisecracks and the butchering of the English language. Gone were the cackles and the insanely fast hacking skills. Gone was the person who never failed to make her smile (or make her want to punch him depending on her current mood). Dick Grayson had disappeared from her school at the same time Robin had died as well, but Artemis was too distraught to put that together.

Distraught. The thought made her smile for a moment before a frown overtook her expression again. If Robin were here, he would be telling her to get traught.

_I can't do that for you, Robin. I'm sorry._

One month. One very quiet, very sad month.

* * *

It had been one month and two weeks since Robin had died.

Aqualad still went into a fight expecting to hear the Boy Wonder's signature cackle sounding right behind him. He still turned to ask his teammate what Robin though of their latest mission, for Kaldur valued the boy's opinion. Robin had been doing missions for years, and while Aqualad was the leader, he still respected his teammate's opinion and advice. And no one came with the ability to make him smile like Robin did.

That was one month and two weeks with next to no humor, and certainly no smiles from the team's leader.

* * *

It had been one month, two weeks, and five days since Robin had died.

Superboy wanted to punch something every time he remembered that the team's youngest member wasn't with them anymore. If he had only refused to follow Robin's orders. He was strong enough to do so. He could have easily snatched the boy up in his arms and dragged Robin away from the scene. Robin would have hated him for it, but at least the Boy Wonder would still be alive. Conner hated being told what to do! Why had he blindly followed the order? Why!

Conner spent one month, two weeks, and five days blaming himself, and wondering what he could have done differently in order to save Robin.

* * *

It had been one month, two weeks, five days, and twelve hours since Robin had died.

Miss Martian still woke up with horrible nightmares relating to that day. She woke up feeling the residual traces of Robin's mind suddenly being silenced. Having been connected to the Boy Wonder's mind at the time, the experience had not been a pleasant one. But she would be willing to feel that pain day after day if she could only see Robin alive and well. Being telepathic, it was way too easy to feel the others going through their own painful emotions. It gave her headaches, but she felt like resisting the pain was like forgetting Robin had ever existed.

M'gann had barely eaten or slept in one month, two weeks, five days, and twelve hours.

* * *

It had been one month, two weeks, five days, twelve hours, and fifty-three minutes since Robin had died.

Kid Flash still found himself whipping out his phone to text Robin whenever someone at his school did something embarrassing, or when he thought of a particularly funny joke. But he would stop himself mid-text each and every time, because Robin was gone, and he was never coming back. Each time he remembered that, a fresh wave of pain would hit Wally right in the chest. He had never had his heart broken, but he had a feeling that it felt like this.

The pain only increased tenfold during that first week, because the News channel was running a story on Bruce Wayne's ward's strange disappearance. The billionaire refused to make any comments, but people were starting to wonder. After a month of no comments from Bruce, Dick Grayson was eventually declared missing, and searches had been run with no result. Wally knew they wouldn't find anything, because Dick was dead.

Kid Flash spent fifty mornings waking up to the fresh pain of remembering that Robin was gone.

* * *

It had been one month, two weeks, five days, twelve hours, fifty-three minutes, and twenty seconds since Robin had died. Twenty-one seconds...Twenty-two...

Batman had unconsciously been counting every second since that fateful day when three members (not four) of the team had returned from an unsuccessful, unauthorized mission.

_He crossed his arms, resisting the urge to tap his foot impatiently. He had been very insistent and very clear about his point. Absolutely _no _missions until he returned from Justice League business. And what had he found when he came back to the Mount Justice Cave? Superboy, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, and Robin were all gone, having followed a mission alert without Batman's permission._

_So, he had a few firm words ready to scold the team as they trudged into the room from the hangar where they had left the Bio-Ship. Only, his prepared speech instantly flew out of his mind when he saw their crestfallen and shocked expressions. He also noticed the definite lack of his Bird._

_Instead of berating them, Batman demanded, "Where's Robin?"_

_Miss Martian's eyes watered, Superboy glared sullenly at the ground, and Kid Flash's expression remained completely downcast. That was answer enough for Batman, and while his heart had frozen in his chest, he hid his emotions well._

_"Mission debriefing," he ordered, his voice cool and even. "Now."_

_Kid Flash was the only one capable of speaking without crying or punching something, so he was the one that launched into an explanation of what had happened, right up to the point where Robin...And that was where he broke off, unable to continue._

_Batman only stood there for a few silent moments before saying, "Hit the showers. No more missions for today."_

_In the end, his emotionless presence ended up being a blessing, for it seemed to keep the three young heroes calm enough to do what he told them to. However, as soon as they had left the room, Batman immediately went through the Zeta Tube. He needed to get back to the Batcave and confirm their story. He needed to be certain that his partner was gone.  
_

Batman had spent almost all of his time since Robin's death gathering data and information, trying to contradict what Kid Flash had said on that fateful day. Today he had taken a trip to Bialya after he had finally (miraculously) gotten Queen Bee's permission to investigate the bombing site. He didn't know how he had accomplished that. He could only guess that even Queen Bee felt the tiniest hint of pity for him. Or maybe she liked the idea of the Batman owing her a favor. The latter was more likely.

Now, Batman was back in the Batcave, having returned from his trip to Bialya with nothing to prove Robin was still alive. If anything, he had proved just the opposite. The little bit of foliage that had been around the compound had been completely disintegrated, the ash having blown away long ago. That meant he didn't even have a body to bury.

The thought caused Batman to immediately lose all composure. He let out a wordless cry that held nothing but raw emotion, grabbing the first thing he could get a hold of. He ended up angrily pushing all of the research he had been doing off the metal examining table. Glass broke, and the microscope lens cracked, but he didn't care. He didn't stop until a firm but gentle hand lighted upon his shoulder.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred questioned, his voice unbelievably gentle and kind.

The tone broke right through Batman's carefully placed (and quickly crumbling) walls, and he pushed back his cowl before running a hand over his face. "He's gone, Alfred. This isn't a simulation, or Scarecrow's fear toxin. He's gone, and it's all my fault."

"Sir, you can't possibly blame yourself for-"

"The last conversation I had with him was a fight!" Bruce snapped.

His suddenly cold tone of voice didn't phase Alfred in the slightest. He merely withdrew his hand, clasping both hands behind his back. "Regardless of that, you cannot blame yourself for Master Richard's..." Even Alfred couldn't finish the sentence.

"Is that right," Bruce said, the question more of a statement. He then launched into the story of his last words with Dick, his voice still just as cold.

_Bruce sat in his chair at the Batcomputer, running an algorithm that would help him compile all of Catwoman's latest burglaries, and hopefully give him a few likely locations of her next break in. He wasn't so lost in his concentration, though, that he jumped when Dick's voice sounded behind him. Then again, he had heard the boy coming from a mile away what with the angry stomping of his feet._

_"I can't believe you!"_

_Bruce sighed, turning the chair around to face his very upset Bird. "What happened this time?"_

_Dick took in his father's cowl-less Batman attire. "That happened!" he said, his voice still more of a frustrated shout as he gestured at said attire. _

_Bruce frowned. "Dick, I told you my reasoning for keeping you at home during nightly patrols."_

_"Which was fine, mostly, but then you benched me from team missions!"_

_"How did you..."  
_

_"Kid Flash texted me a picture of himself at Miami Beach with the others fighting the Terror Twins in the background. The caption said_ 'Wish you were here!'_" _

_Bruce's frown deepened in annoyance. West always ruined his plans to keep secrets from Dick. "I pulled you out because you were too emotionally unstable from Scarecrow's fear toxin to-"_

_"Bull..." Dick trailed off to avoid having his mouth washed out by Alfred. "That isn't your decision to make, Bruce."_

_The way he barked out Bruce's name instead of saying 'Dad' like he had over the past few weeks hurt, but Bruce stayed silent as Dick continued to rant, "I'm not a little kid anymore! How many times do I have to keep reminding you that?"_

_"I was only trying to protect-"_

_"Protect me, I know," Dick barreled on, ignoring the annoyed look he was receiving (Bruce hated being interrupted). "Which was touching for the first week or so when I actually needed it. But gosh, Bruce, it's been three weeks since our run in with Scarecrow! I'm fine."_

_"Are you?" Bruce raised one eyebrow. "You crawled into bed with me just three nights ago, Dick."_

_The boy's cheeks grew slightly pink, but that didn't stop him from continuing. "You always do this. You come in thinking you're protecting me, and thinking you're always right, but you're not! You're dead wrong this time, Bruce. Admit it."_

_Bruce couldn't stop his eyes from narrowing at the insinuation that his want to take care of his son was wrong. "I can't do that."_

_"Why the heck _not?_"_

_"Because I'm not wrong."_

_Dick made a scoffing sound deep in his throat, and he was about to speak again when Bruce cut him off. "I'm not wrong in keeping you safe."_

_"You can't keep me safe from everything! Ugh!" Dick threw his hands up in the air and whirled around, starting to storm off. "I'm getting sick and tired of you being overprotective," he mumbled, almost as if he was mostly talking to himself. _

_"Hang on a minute," Bruce called after him, his voice lowering dangerously. "Where do you think you're going?"_

_Dick waited until he was in the elevator to say. "Out."_

_"Not so fast. We aren't done here."_

_"I think we are."_

_"_Richard!_" he snapped, his voice icy cold and almost threatening. It was more intense of a tone than he had ever used on his son._

_The elevator doors closed, but just before they did, Bruce could see Dick's suddenly changed expression. The boy's eyes were wide and filled with hurt, and they remained that way as he was taken from Bruce's sight._

"That boy has...had quite the temper." Bruce shook his head with a sigh. His voice had slowly become more resigned as he recounted the conversation, and now he sounded almost dejected. "Perhaps if I had handled it a bit differently. If I had made him see my point without trying so hard to be the alpha dog..."

"You are rather the alpha dog type, sir."

"I know. But do you see my point now? My words pushed him into going on that mission, and now..." Bruce's voice broke, something it rarely did due to the fact that he didn't usually get emotional. And he was even more shocked when he ran his hand along his face again, only to find it coming away wet.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred questioned softly, carefully.

"My last words to him were said in frustration. I thought I had to make him understand my actions. But whatever composure I had at the beginning of that conversation was gone by the time it was finished. The..." His voice gave out again, and he had to swallow hard before finishing in a whisper, "The very last word I said to him was his full name, and it was uttered in the same tone of voice I use on the villains."

Bruce covered his face with both hands, this time in shame. "You should have seen his face, Alfred. His eyes. I had the ability to hurt him with just my _voice_."

There were several beats of silence before Alfred spoke again. "Master Richard knew you loved him."

Bruce let out a harsh laugh at that, lowering his hands to his sides. "I sure didn't act like it right then."

"You were only attempting to protect him. Even if he was upset with you, he knew that. All fathers fight with their sons, sir, but that does not stop the son from loving the father, or vice versa."

"But I...didn't even get to say goodbye, or tell him how much I cared about him one more time. I...There isn't even a body to-" And that was when Bruce's voice gave out completely, and he let out a few deep (but quiet) sobs.

Alfred, having not seen his master cry since he was a boy, could think of nothing more to do then slip a slim arm around Bruce's broad shoulders. However, the comforting motion seemed to have the desired effect, because it didn't take long for Bruce to calm down.

He wiped away the few tears that had escaped, and he straightened his shoulders. "Now that I know for certain Dick is..." He paused, leaving the sentence hanging before going on. "I can focus on getting Vertigo."

His regular firmness was back in place, and there may have even been a hint of a cold note in his tone. He was obviously far from fine, but Alfred had learned early on that encouraging Master Bruce to confront his emotions was pointless. "Sir?"

"Don't worry, Alfred," Bruce reassured, pulling his cowl back up and converting to Batman once more. "Justice, not vengeance. But I _will _avenge Robin's death."

"Of course, sir." Alfred sighed. "You are aware of the Count visiting Gotham, then?"

"For the black market dealing, yes." The Count thought he could get away with black market activity in Gotham. Sure, Gotham was crawling with illegal importers, but it also had the Batman. "Don't wait up."

"I never do, sir." That was obviously a lie, but Alfred had always been talented in the art of sarcasm.

Batman, however, didn't crack a smile. He merely leaped into the Batmobile and sped off, his eyes narrowing as he thought about finally catching the man who had killed his Bird. Diplomatic immunity or no, Vertigo was going down.

* * *

When Batman arrived at the old abandoned warehouse by the docks, he had a hard time slowing down and keeping it low-key. He wanted nothing more than to rush in and give Vertigo a beating he would never forget. But even though his blood was boiling with hatred, he kept his wits about him, and he crept along stealthily, whipping out his binoculars and setting them to x-ray mode.

There were eight men inside. One was the the black market dealer, and one was the Count. Batman had to assume the other six were guards for each side. Eight men? That shouldn't be too hard. First, though, he needed to make sure and gather some evidence against the Count (if that was even possible. If anything could be learned about Count Vertigo, it was that he knew how to slip through the cracks of the law).

So, edging up to the side of the building, he pulled out a device that could listen to sounds through walls. He also grabbed a recorder before getting to work.

_"You brought what I requested?"_

_"'Course I did. Whaddya take me for?"_

_"A criminal, Mr. Hodges. A criminal is exactly what you are. It's even in your job description." _

_"Oh. Right. Well, I brought what ya wanted anyway. Does it meet your standards?"_

There was silence as the item was presumably passed between the two dealers. Then, a light chuckle from Vertigo. _"Yes, this will do quite nicely."_

_"Great. You got the money?"_

_"I have your payment right here."_

Cries of shock and pain rang out a moment later, and Batman could only assume Vertigo was using his dizzying device on the black market dealer and his men. That was his cue.

Bursting through the door with a loud crash, Batman hurled two batarangs, striking two of Vertigo's three guards and sending them tumbling to the ground. He whipped out another one to take out the third guard, but the man rushed at him, engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. And Batman had to admit, the man was talented. And quick. He even managed to land a punch on Batman's jaw, but maybe that was only because the Dark Knight's vision was going red as soon as he saw Count Vertigo in the flesh.

In return for the bruise Batman was going to have on his jaw, he punched the third guard in the exact same spot, and his hit immediately knocked the guy unconscious. That only left the black market dealer's guards, who were still on the ground moaning about being dizzy and wanting to throw up.

"Batman," Vertigo greeted, keeping his device fixated on the other occupants of the building. "I would use this on you, but I assume you have those aggravating earplugs in?"

Batman smiled darkly instead of voicing an answer. When he saw the Count, all he could envision was Robin's body getting caught in the bomb blast. Robin screaming in pain. Robin disintegrating...

The Dark Knight launched himself at Vertigo, executing a roundhouse kick that the villain blocked with the sword he had suddenly whipped out. The blade sliced into Batman's boot, but it only took a chunk of the thick material and nothing else.

"Why so much angrier than usual, Batman?" the Count asked with a thin smile, swiping his sword at the Dark Knight, who blocked it with the razor sharp edges of his gloves. "Does it have anything to do with the broken bird?"

Batman didn't justify that with an answer, either. He merely crossed his arms in an X at the wrists, and used the same razor sharp edges of his gloves to slice Vertigo's sword clean in half.

The Count didn't seem to expect that, if his slightly widened eyes and raised eyebrows were any indication. He recovered quickly, however, and he attempted to stab the Dark Knight with the broken sword.

Except Batman saw the move coming, and he parried the broken sword away with a batarang. Making sure the built in razors in his gloves were tucked away again, he slammed his right forearm against Vertigo's neck and pushed the villain against the wall. An angry Batman equaled a quick and ruthless fight.

"You don't know how hard you make me want to break my one rule," Batman growled in Vertigo's face, his voice gruffer than ever. He accompanied the statement with several quick punches in the villain's gut (along with one right in the mouth), relishing the sound of cracking ribs and gasping breaths.

"You're forgetting my diplomatic immunity, Batman," the Count managed to get out, spitting out a glob of blood. He looked triumphant.

Or he looked proud up until Batman said, "Diplomatic immunity _this,_" and he landed another knockout punch in Vertigo's jaw, sending the man crumpling in a heap on the ground.

Once he was positive Vertigo was unconscious, Batman turned to face the black market dealer and his guards, who had been released from the Count's dizzying device. The guards looked like they were considering coming after him until their boss cried, "Forgetta 'bout it! Let's get outta here!"

Batman didn't even bother to run after them. They were an incompetent group who he could catch easily on another night. For now, he wanted to cuff the Count and his guards to make sure they didn't get away.

He was in the middle of doing so when he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks. "Batman?"

He rose slowly from his crouching position next to one of the guards, turning to face the bearer of the voice cautiously, as if he was afraid one sudden move would cause the person to disappear. Because the person bore a striking resemblance to a certain Bird with his small, lithe form. Although, his hair was a light blonde, and his eyes were a deep brown.

"Batman, what the _heck?_ You're lucky I already gathered enough incriminating information to justify your blatant disregard of the Count's diplomatic immunity."

The words that were coming out of the boy's mouth immediately confirmed who he was, but all Batman was hearing was the fact that, "Dick, you're _alive_?"

Dick put one hand on his hip, ruffling the servant's attire he was wearing. His other hand held a sleek silver case. "Duh. You honestly thought I was dead? Seriously, Bruce, I thought you were the frickin' _Batman._"

The words were still coming, and they were slowly starting to filter into Bruce's rarely shocked mind. Although, he still only managed a "How?"

"Easy." Dick removed his hand from his hip and flapped it dismissively. "I couldn't completely disarm the bomb in the time that I had, but I was able to alter it enough to where it only took out unaware organic material. In other words, it disintegrated plants but not humans.

"Then, I used the lessons you taught me about guarding my mind to fool Miss Martian. I doubt I would have been able to do it, except I kinda...ah...fainted from the residual heat of the explosion, so I used that to help trick her into thinking I was dead.

"After that, I died my hair, got colored contacts, and used one of my aliases. I went to get a spot in Count Vertigo's ring of servants so that I could gather incriminating information on him in order to put him in jail, stopping his bomb making at the same time. Sorry I was gone so long, but it took a while to get the other servants to trust me."

By the time Dick had finished speaking, the shock had completely disappeared from Bruce's mind, and only anger was left. "And you didn't try to contact me?" he demanded.

Dick took an involuntary step back, frowning in confusion at his father's response. "What, you wanted me to blow my cover? I couldn't risk it."

"Dick, you put both me _and _your team through a month and a half of agony because we all thought you were dead!" Bruce was shouting now without necessarily realizing it. Part of him was relieved that Dick was alive, but that part was currently buried underneath his frustration over what Robin had put them all through.

"I thought you would be pleased!" Dick shot back, his voice rising as well. "I sacrificed _everything _for the sake of the mission. I sacrificed my life as Dick Grayson and Robin, and I sacrificed being with my friends and family in order to complete it! Isn't that what you taught me?"

"No!" At this point, Bruce had crossed the room, and he was now grasping Dick's slim shoulders in his hands, shaking the boy firmly as if he could physically force his son to understand. "I didn't raise you as Robin just for you to throw your life away!"

Dick tried to squirm out of Batman's grasp, but it wasn't working. "Don't be so dramatic. I was going to come back," he snapped, his blue-but-brown eyes as fierce as the ones hidden behind Batman's cowl. "And I can't believe you! You trot around as Batman doing anything and using anyone to complete the mission. And now that I did that exact same thing, you're _mad _at me?"

"I thought you were _dead!_" Bruce repeated, abruptly stopping in his shaking of Dick. He sighed and lowered his head, his voice quieting. "I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you, and I couldn't deal with that without first having said how...sorry I was."

Dick stilled, pursing his lips in a confused expression as he stared at the top of Batman's head. "I'm not sure I understand. Are you talking about that fight we had? Really?"

Bruce looked up again, his eyes narrowing into white slits. "You sound rather nonchalant about this."

"Then allow me to be chalant," Dick said, having stopped his attempts to get out of Batman's grip. "I thought a lot about our last conversation during my free time as one of Vertigo's servants. I'll admit that I overreacted, and I apologize for that. I know you were just trying to protect me. Sometimes I forget how intense you are, which is insane, because as I mentioned before, you're the frickin' _Batman. _Intense has to be your middle name or something."

Bruce felt relief course through him, and he finally released his death grip on Dick's shoulders. "You forgive me?"

"Of course. But I still don't see why you aren't proud of me." Dick frowned again, looking a little hurt. "I did exactly what you would have done in that situation."

"Dick." Bruce sighed, pushing back the cowl and kneeling down to be at his son's level. "I've mentioned how I don't want you to be like me."

"Uh huh."

"And I've mentioned that I let you start fighting crime at a young age in order to enforce that principle."

"Uh huh."

"I can't lose you. I _can't. _Do you understand?" Bruce put his hands on Dick's shoulders again, more gently this time. "_Never _do something like that again, do you hear me?"

Dick paused, looking as if he was mentally going over Bruce's points before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I hear you. But in my defense, I really did think you would know I had faked it."

Bruce finally allowed himself to smile slightly before pulling Dick into a tight hug. The boy stiffened slightly at the sudden contact (and he also stiffened due to the fact that _Batman _had initiated it), but he quickly relaxed into the embrace, hugging Bruce back.

"I love you. You know that," Bruce said, firmly but gently.

"Yeah. Love you, too," Dick mumbled back before saying, "I should probably inform the team of my being alive."

Bruce didn't want to let his son go yet. He had just gotten him back. But he couldn't really argue with that, so he released the boy and got back to his feet, pulling the cowl back on. "Probably. I'll take Vertigo and that evidence to Belle Reve."

Dick handed over the silver case. "The Count thought it was holding his spare head device."

Batman opened the case to find files, both digital and hard copies. "Clever. You'll have to tell me how..."

He trailed off when he looked up to find that Dick was no longer in front of him. In fact, the boy was nowhere in sight. That caused Batman's lips to curl into a wry half smile as he stated, "That's what that feels like."

He snapped the case closed and went about transporting Count Vertigo and his guards, unable to wipe a slight smile off of his face for the rest of the day (granted, he kept it small when at Belle Reve).

Batman had his Robin back. How could he _not _be happy about that?

* * *

Robin straightened his domino mask, making sure it was securely covering his eyes. Was it bad that he was nervous about greeting his team? He was thrilled to see them, but he was uncertain about how they would react. Would they be ecstatic? Furious? Relieved? Hurt? He didn't know, and he didn't like the way his stomach was twisting from anxiety.

But he ended up straightening his shoulders, stepping through the Zeta Tube, and beaming to the Mount Justice HQ.

_"Robin, B01."_

When he stepped out into the Cave, he was greeted with a red and yellow blur bowling him over.

"OmigoshRobwhattheheckyou'realiveisthissomesortoftrickareyourealpleasebereal!"

Having known Wally since he was eight, Robin had no trouble understanding his blurted, fast rambling. "I'm real, KF," he said with a grin. He was now realizing just how much he had missed his best friend, and he found himself easily returning the death grip of a hug that Wally had him encased in.

As if him speaking was some sort of cue, the rest of the team came barreling into the room, all of them talking at once. Robin caught enough to know what they were feeling, though.

Artemis couldn't believe he was alive, and she said she kind of wanted to punch him, but she ended up hugging him ridiculously tight instead.

Kaldur tried to be all formal about it, but even he said how relieved he was. He mentioned how much he had missed Robin's company and advice, and he also gave the Boy Wonder a hug. It was an action that took Robin off guard since it was coming from the stiff Atlantian, but he accepted it.

Conner stood stock still for a good minute or so before wrapping Robin up in a hug that just about broke the boy's back, but he didn't mention that to Superboy.

Miss Martian demanded to know how Robin had hidden his mind from her, but before he could answer, she hugged him almost as tightly as Conner. Robin thought he felt a few tears drop onto his shoulder. He figured he could tell her about Batman's mind lessons some other time.

Once all the hugs had been initiated, Robin launched into an apology. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you guys about my plan, but that would have blown away the entire idea along with my cover. I didn't mean to hurt any of you, and I swear it won't happen again."

But the rest of the team didn't seem to care about that. They just laughed it off and gathered around Robin in a group hug.

He couldn't understand that, though, so he asked, "You guys aren't mad?"

"Oh, I'm kind of mad," Artemis reassured him, punching him lightly in the arm. "But right now I'm too relieved to hurt you."

"I'm just so glad you're alive!" M'gann exclaimed with a sound that was part sob, part laugh.

"And I'm so glad I can stop blaming myself for your death," Conner said solemnly.

"You blamed yourself?" Robin asked, blinking once in confusion. "You shouldn't, SB. If you had saved me, I would never have been able to stop Count Vertigo. A lot of people would have died if I hadn't stopped his bomb making."

The fact seemed to make Conner feel a little better, for he smiled in the slightest, crushing Robin in another hug.

"I am simply relieved you have returned," Kaldur spoke up again. "I have to confess that it seemed awfully quiet without your humor to lighten the atmosphere."

"On that, we can all agree," Wally said with a grin. "My jokes just aren't the same as your wit, Rob."

Robin cackled, causing each and every team member to laugh as well. Oh, how they had missed that cackle. How they had missed Robin. They were just extremely relieved that he was back.

And they spent the rest of that day grilling Robin about his time among Vertigo's servants. They were laughing about one particularly clumsy boy long through the night, none of them wanting to go home yet. They wanted to spend time in their youngest teammate's company for as long as they could.

None of them said the words 'we love you,' but they were certainly implied.

* * *

**That last part with the team was kind of a bonus. I was originally planning on ending the chapter with Batman, but I figured y'all would want the team's reactions as well. ;)  
**

**Next up (don't know when): "Future: Cold." Stay asterous! *ninjas out***


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